Benny Green

A conservationist of the bebop idiom, and a joyful guardian of its lexicon. —NPR Pianist Benny Green moved to New York City at 19 to join legendary vocalist Betty Carter’s band and never looked back. He would go on to play piano with some of jazz’s most important musicians and groups, including Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Freddie Hubbard, and the Ray Brown Trio. From these artists, he received an invaluable artistic education, learning to embody the art of bebop and master the music. ​In 1988, at age 24, Green released his debut album as a leader, Prelude, which featured Terence Blanchard, Javon Jackson, Peter Washington, and Tony Reedus. In 1990, he signed with Blue Note Records; later, he would release records on Telarc and Sunnyside. His records have featured some of the best jazz musicians, including Stanley Turrentine, Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, Christian McBride, Victor Lewis, Lewis Nash, Carl Allen, and Russell Malone. His latest record, Solo, was released in 2023.