Candid Recording(s):

Big Brass(CCD 79011)

Biography:

One of the most exhilarating sounds in jazz is that made by a trumpet swung with bold, brass proud assurance, Benny Bailey. He not only has a big, brilliant tone, and a soaring beat, but he is an individual player on his horn. Early influences of the Cleveland born trumpeter were Gillespie, Fast Navarro and Clifford Brown. He soon developed his own style which led to an invitation to join Quincy Jones’ band, often taking the solos.

“Benny has so personal a sound and so completely avoide cliches. Most of the younger players I’ve been hearing copy all their hot licks from Miles, Dizzy, Clifford Brown and others, but his hown and even cackle on it to get what he wants. He has fantastic breath contro, remarkable range and as perfect a technique as I’ve seen on jazz trumpet. Moreover, he composers as he plays – like Milt Jackson – so that his solos aren’t just anthologies of licks. One of the things htat give his playing so much character is the fact that although he can tongue as fast as he wants to, his is a lazy’ relaxed tongue…Above all, he has authority. The man is a real trumpet player.” Quincy Jones.

His album on Candid – Big Brass (CCD 79011) was recorded a short time after Quincy’s band came back to American following almost a year in Europe. Benny had been away much longer, having lived in Europe since 1953. For his first American album, Benny chose four colleagues from the Quincy Jones band – Phil Woods, Buddy Catlett, Les Spann and Julis Watkins. He picked Tommy Flanagan and Art Taylor to complete the rhythm section; and to achieve diversity, he commissioned several arrangers (Quincy Jones, Hale Smith, Oliver Nelson and Tom McIntosh).