A true torchbearer of the jazz piano tradition comes to The Side Door for an intimate evening of solo piano Benny Green – Solo Piano Benny Green is one of the most exciting, hard-swinging pianists to emerge from the legacy of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.
Born in New York and raised in Berkeley, California, Green began classical piano studies at age seven, drawn to jazz through his father’s record collection of Monk and Bird, and his early talent led to a weekly trio gig at Yoshi’s while still in high school.
After moving to New York, Green studied with veteran pianist Walter Bishop Jr., who encouraged him to explore the full scope of jazz piano history to find his own voice.
He went on to work with Betty Carter from 1983 to 1987, then realized a lifelong dream by joining Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, remaining a member until Blakey’s passing in 1990.
He went on to join Freddie Hubbard’s quintet, and in 1993 became the first recipient of the City of Toronto’s Glenn Gould International Protégé Prize in Music, selected personally by Oscar Peterson.
That same year he joined Ray Brown’s trio, remaining until 1997.
Green has been hailed as the bearer of a torch handed down to him personally by his mentors, Betty Carter, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, and Ray Brown, a living link to one of the great lineages of jazz piano.
With a recording career spanning over one hundred sessions as both leader and sideman, and decades of touring as a soloist and bandleader, Green brings the full weight of that tradition to The Side Door for two nights of solo piano, an intimate format that allows his extraordinary touch, harmonic depth, and hard-swinging spirit to take center stage.
The Side Door Jazz Club is a dedicated jazz listening room located inside the historic Old Lyme Inn, 85 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.
Tickets are reserved seating.
Guests dining at the Old Lyme Inn prior to the show receive 10% off their dinner bill.
