Benny Green

Benny Green (born April 4, 1963 in New York City) is a hard bop jazz pianist who was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.

He has been compared to Bud Powell in style and counts him as an influence. As a boy he grew up in Berkeley, California, and studied classical piano from the age of seven. He also had an interest in jazz from an early point as his father was a jazz tenor saxophone player. Benny Green was "discovered" by Faye Carroll and later while still in his teens worked in a quintet led by Eddie Henderson. Green attended Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) in Berkeley, CA, participating in the school's renowned Jazz Ensemble. In the later years of his high school career, he landed a weekly trio gig at Yoshi's, which marked his entrance to the world of professional jazz. After high school he spent time in San Francisco, but professional success came on his return to New York. He joined Betty Carter's band in April, 1983 and since 1991 he has led his own trio. He has worked most with Blue Note Records, Telarc International Corporation, and started with the Dutch label Criss Cross Jazz.

He frequently teaches in workshops across the United States, such as Jazz Camp West in California, and Centrum/Jazz Port Townsend in Washington. He currently resides in Berkeley California where he practices piano, composes music and watches films in his spare time.

As leader

 * Source (2011) - Trio: Benny Green, Peter Washington, and Kenny Washington, Jazz Legacy Productions
 * Bluebird Benny Green & Russell Malone (2004) Telarc
 * ''Jazz at the Bistro/Benny Green & Russell Malone (2003) Telarc
 * ''Green's Blues (2001) Telarc
 * ''Naturally [Trio: Benny Green, Russell Malone, and Christian McBride] (2000) Telarc
 * ''These Are Soulful Days [Trio: Benny Green, Russell Malone, and Christian McBride (1999) Blue Note
 * ''Oscar and Benny (1998) Telarc
 * ''Kaleidoscope (1997) Blue Note
 * ''Place to Be (1994) Blue Note
 * ''Testifyin'!: Live at the Village Vanguard (1992) Blue Note
 * ''That's Right! (1992) Blue Note
 * ''Greens (1991) Blue Note
 * ''Lineage (1990) Blue Note
 * ''Prelude (1988) Criss Cross
 * ''In This Direction (1988) Criss Cross

As sideman

 * Anat Cohen, Clarinetwork: Live at the Village Vanguard (2010)
 * ''Belinda Underwood Greenspace (2008)
 * ''Randy Napoleon Between Friends (2006)
 * ''Ray Brown Trio Walk On (2003)
 * ''Clark Terry One on One (2000)
 * ''Gary Bartz Shadows (1991)
 * ''Bob Belden Ensemble Straight to My Heart: The Music of (1989)
 * ''Bob Belden When the Doves Cry
 * ''The Music of Prince (1993)
 * ''Art Blakey Hard Champion: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (1985)
 * ''Art Blakey I Get a Kick out of Bu (1988)
 * ''Art Blakey Not Yet (1988)
 * ''Art Blakey Feel the Wind (1989)
 * ''Block 16 Morning Sun Remixed (2002)
 * ''Don Braden Quintet Time Is Now (1991)
 * ''Don Braden Wish List (1991)
 * ''Cecil Brooks III Hangin' With Smooth (1990)
 * ''Cecil Brooks III Our Mister Brooks (2000)
 * ''Ray Brown Bass Face (1993)
 * ''Ray Brown Trio With Benny... Don't Get Sassy (1994)
 * ''Ray Brown Some of My Best Friends Are... (1994)
 * ''Ray Brown Seven Steps to Heaven (1995)
 * ''Ray Brown Some of My Best Friends Are... (1995)
 * ''Ray Brown Live at Scullers Jazz Club (1996)
 * ''Ray Brown with John... Super Bass (1997)
 * ''Ray Brown Triple Play (1998)
 * ''Betty Carter Look What I Got (1988)
 * ''Arnett Cobb with Heath... Tenor Tribute, Vol. 1 (1988)
 * ''Arnett Cobb/Jimmy Heath... Tenor Tribute, Vol. 2 (1988)
 * ''Dalida Annees Barclay (1997) Composer
 * ''Mark Elf Minor Scramble (1996)
 * ''Larry Gales Message from Monk (1990)
 * ''George Gershwin S'Wonderful (1992)
 * ''Tim Hagans & Marcus... Hub Songs: The Music of Freddie... (1997)
 * ''Jay Hoggard Little Tiger (1990)
 * ''Fred Horn Steady Freddy Collective Cuts (1995)
 * ''Freddie Hubbard Topsy: Standard Book (1989)
 * ''Freddie Hubbard Live at Fat Tuesday (1991)
 * ''Freddie Hubbard God Bless the Child [Music Master] (1998)
 * ''Milt Jackson Burnin' in the Woodhouse (1995)
 * Ron Jackson Guitar Thing (1991)
 * ''Jazz Futures Live in Concert (1991)
 * ''Randy Johnston Walk On (1991)
 * ''Etta Jones At Last (1993)
 * ''Etta Jones My Gentleman Friend (1994)
 * ''Vince Jones One Day Spent (1991)
 * ''Kristin Korb Introducing Kristin Korb With the... (1996)
 * ''Diana Krall All for You (1995)
 * ''Michael Logan Night Out (1990)
 * ''Brian Lynch In Process (1991)
 * ''Mingus Dynasty Next Generation Performs Charles... (1991)
 * ''Ralph Moore Round Trip (1985)
 * ''Ralph Moore Images (1988)
 * ''Ralph Moore Furthermore (1990)
 * ''Ralph Moore Who It is You Are (1993)
 * ''Ralph Moore Complete Landmark Recordings (1999)
 * ''Amani A.W. Murray Amani A.W. Murray (1990)
 * ''Houston Person Lion and His Pride (1991)
 * ''Houston Person Christmas With Houston Person and... (1994)
 * ''Houston Person Little Houston on the Side (1999)
 * ''Houston Person Santa Baby
 * ''Oscar Peterson Tribute (1997)
 * ''Oscar & Benny: Oscar Peterson & Benny Green (1998)
 * ''Flip Phillips Swing Is the Thing! (2000)
 * ''John Pizzarelli Dear Mr. Cole (1994)
 * ''Lisa Pollard I See Your Face Before Me (1993)
 * ''Jimmy Ponder Soul Eyes (1991)
 * ''Jimmy Ponder Steel City Soul (1998)
 * ''Jim Snidero Quintet Mixed Bag (1987)
 * ''Jim Snidero Blue Afternoon (1989)
 * ''Jim Snidero Quartet While You Were Here (1991)
 * ''Lew Tabackin Quartet I'll Be Seeing You (1992)
 * ''Lew Tabackin Quartet What a Little Moonlight Can Do (1994)
 * ''Steve Turre Right There (1991)
 * ''Jack Walrath & The Masters Out of the Tradition (1990)
 * ''Jack Walrath I Am the Walrath (2000)
 * ''Bobby Watson Inventor (1989)
 * Various Artists Yule Struttin' (1990)
 * Various Artists Santa's Bag: An All-Star Jazz... (1992)
 * Various Artists All-Star Jazz Christmas (1992)
 * Various Artists Jazz Celebration: a Tribute to... (1992)
 * Various Artists S'Wonderful: The Gershwin Songbook (1992)
 * Various Artists Jazz Showcase (1994)
 * Various Artists Blue Note Now! (1994)
 * Various Artists Esquire Jazz Collection:... (1995)
 * Various Artists Fujitsu-Concord 27th Jazz Festival (1995)
 * Various Artists Complete Gershwin Songbooks (1995)
 * Various Artists For the Love of Monk (1997)
 * Various Artists It's Monk's Tune (1997)
 * Various Artists Jazz After Hours (1998)
 * Various Artists Surround Sounds, Vol. 2 (1998)
 * Various Artists Blue Note Plays Gershwin (1999)
 * Various Artists Essential Young Lions, Vol. 1 (1999)
 * Various Artists Jazz for Those Peaceful Moments... (1999)
 * Various Artists 32 More Gems from 32 Jazz (2000)
 * Various Artists Romance in Rio (2000)
 * Various Artists Jazz Piano Christmas (2000)
 * Various Artists Richard Rodgers Centennial Jazz... (2001)
 * Various Artists Signature Songs (2002)
 * Various Artists Telarc Celebrating 25 Years: The... (2002)
 * Various Artists I Heard It on NPR: Jazz for Blue... (2002)
 * Various Artists I Heard It on NPR CD Box Set: Jazz (2003)