Whisper Not

The Autobiography of Benny Golson

Benny Golson, Jim B Merod

• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781439913338
• eBook ISBN: 9781439913352
• Subtopic: North American History

"One of the greatest artists our country has is Benny Golson. He is not only a great musician, but an original and fabulous composer. He is inventive and creative and his work is loved the world over. Benny is a rare, creative genius. All I would like to say is THREE CHEERS for Benny Golson!"—Tony Bennett

"Composer supreme, tenor man supreme, jazz man supreme, good guy supreme: that's BENNY GOLSON!"—Sonny Rollins

Born during the de facto inaugural era of jazz, saxophonist Benny Golson learned his instrument and the vocabulary of jazz alongside John Coltrane while Golson was still in high school in Philadelphia. Quickly establishing himself as an iconic fixture on the jazz landscape, Golson performed with dozens of jazz greats, from Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, and Jimmy Heath to Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and many others. An acclaimed composer, Golson also wrote music for Hollywood films and television and composed such memorable jazz standards as "Stablemates," "Killer Joe," and "Whisper Not."

An eloquent account of Golson's exceptional life—presented episodically rather than chronologically—Whisper Not includes a dazzling collection of anecdotes, memories, experiences, and photographs that recount the successes, the inevitable failures, and the rewards of a life eternally dedicated to jazz.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface, by Jim Merod
• Introduction
• Part I. John Coltrane
• Part II. The ’Hood and Youthful Reckonings
• Part III. Great People
• Part IV. Hollywood
• Part V. Amazing Friendships
• Part VI. Music and Writing
• Part VII. Icons
• Part VIII. Verses and a Coda
• Acknowledgments
• Index