- "**** (4 stars) - Featuring tenor players Branford Marsalis, James Carter and Harold Ashby in duets (and trios) with Benny Golson, Tenor Legacy is a tribute to 10 of the most influential players of jazz’s main axe. …this is a recording about harmony and mutual respect. Ashby and Golson…fit together comfortably, finishing each other’s ideas and blending their burnished tones into a seamless whole. Typically, Carter is harder edged and more inclined to crank up the energy level. He scorches through My Favorite Things in tribute to John Coltrane and spurs pianist Geoff Keezer into his best playing on the album. Marsalis is solid…and leaves the listener wanting to hear more."
--James Hale, Ottawa Citizen, 12 Sept 1998
- "…a perfectly realized concept album."
--Kevin Lynch, The Capital Times, 2 Sept 1998
- Gold Disc - Swing Journal, Japan
- "Benny Golson is back, this time with a salute to 10 legends of the tenor saxophone. It’s such a daunting task that Golson has called for help from Branford Marsalis, Harold Ashby and James Carter. I’ve long held Golson in high regard, both as a player and writer. Carter is a rising star…and at his bet here on “Whisper Not”. Ashby, the elder statesman among Golson’s guests, employs the sweeping legato and broad vibrato of an earlier era, while Marsalis is definitely cookin' alongside Golson on “Body and Soul”. One can always count on pianist Keezer to have something fresh and appealing to say, and he’s never at a loss for words. With Burno and Farnsworth, he comprises a rhythm section that leaves nothing to chance This is a colorful session with perceptive choices of melody and tempo."
--Jack Bowers, www.allaboutjazz.com, August 1998
- "**** stars - Too often all-star sessions have a slapped-together feeling and little sense of commitment from the players. But not Golson’s project. His considerable arranging skills give each track a distinctive sound. Furthermore, the powerhouse line-up of contemporary tenors clearly inspire one another. James Carter pushed himself to the limit on the John Coltrane tribute, “My Favorite Things”, while waxing romantic on “Cry Me A River”. Special mention should also be made of the sterling rhythm section of pianist Geoff Keezer, bassist Dwayne Burno and drummer Joe Farnsworth."
--Joe Middleton, Stereo-Type & JazzUSA 8/98
- "Benny Golson’s tribute…is notable for its depth, legitimately great music, and memory. An essential CD for fans of jazz sax. Also, great liner notes with historical commentary by Golson on the tunes and players."
--Todd De Groff, Victory Music Review, Sept ‘98
What critics say about Up Jumped Benny:
- "The tenor saxophonist Benny Golson is strangely overlooked as a player, probably because he wrote such durable tunes in the 1950s and 1960s that he was branded a composer. Neatly balancing Coleman Hawkins' breathy elegance and John Coltrane’s tumultuous drive, he has most of the qualities one comes to jazz for. In Up Jumped Benny, Mr. Golson has rarely sounded more impressive…dramatically alive, impulsive and untethered.”
--Ben Ratliff, New York Times
- "In these days of smoothly burnished sound-alike tenor saxophonists, there aren’t many whose uniquely personal approach sets them apart from and above their peers. Benny Golson is one such player. (He) may have found in Bob Karcy’s new Arkadia label a long-overdue channel for his creative genius…The music…is superb throughout.”
--Jack Bowers, Cadence Magazine
- “Up Jumped Benny puts his horn up front, and he responds with lovely tonal nuances, modal excursions, chromatic curves, and even an interpolation of Puccini’s “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca. What’s not to like?"
--Art Lange, Pulse
- "Consider Benny Golson: At age 68, he’s a world-class composer and arranger, and an outstanding if undervalued tenor-sax player whose engine still runs strong…with New York’s Arkadia Jazz, their affiliation is off to a good start here. Heaven knows, he deserves to be heard."
--Frank-John Hadley, Jazziz
- "**** (Best of Artist) Golson’s fans will feel fortunate to have this."
--Richard S. Ginell, All-Music Guide
- "Golson owns a piece of jazz history. His soulful tenor tone is gorgeous, his lines fluid and intelligent, his playing passionate and precise. This is an impressive session from Golson and his trio…"
--Walter White, Victory Review
- "In this live session, the nuances that make Benny Golson such a venerated player and writer are in full evidence. His tenor sax sound is deep and dark – in truth, mysterious. Over the last eight years or so Golson has reinvigorated his playing. He has never played more passionately than he does today – or with more intelligence and daring. “Up Jumped Benny” is a welcome addition to the Golson discography."
--Jim Merod, Jazz Now, Jan 1998
- "Golson’s a superb tenor saxophonist…his playing has become more refined over the years.
(In this session) Golson’s warm tone and inventiveness come to the fore…And he can still cook."
--Harvey Pekar, JazzTimes
- "Golson’s playing is still lively and fresh today. Up Jumped Benny, Golson’s new CD on Arkadia Jazz, is a deluxe 72-minute live set capturing his quartet in top form. Coming from someone who has seen him perform a dozen or so times, it is some of the best Golson I have ever heard. (His) Classics receive their finest workouts recorded to date. A recognized great among music’s cognoscenti, Benny Golson, does not have the mass audience he deserves."
--George Gabriel, Cups Culture Magazine
- "Golson’s “Up Jumped Benny” (Arkadia) is an absolute killer. (you) may have to install seat belts..."
--S.D. Feeney, Face Magazine
- "****1/2 stars. Benny Golson’s…sound is rich and thick, unique and instantly identifiable through decades of jazz prominence. Golson’s contributions to the jazz art encompass superb performance, composition and arranging skills. He has earned the title of living jazz legend.
--George Fendel, Jazzscene - Our Town
- 1997 Blue Chip CD Awards (Top 26 New Issues) - Herb Wong, Jazz Educators Journal
- "This sweet and sympathetic live session…is a good reminder that Golson always has been a creative and unique improviser. Golson plays a mix of tender ballads and thumping, uptempo numbers that makes you wish you’d been there. This is a nicely paced, enjoyable set with a lot of percussive energy and mellow glow."
--Paul de Barros, ENSO Internet reviews June ‘98
ARKADIA JAZZ