Joe Benjamin

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Joe Benjamin (born November 4, 1919 in Atlantic City as Joseph Rupert Benjamin , †  January 26, 1974 in Livingston ) was an American bassist of swing and modern jazz .

Live and act

"Joe" Benjamin began with violin studies, then switched to bass and at the beginning of his professional career played in the trio of pianist Benny Payne in 1944, in 1946 with Mercer Ellington and 1950 with Billy Taylor . From 1951 he was in big bands like Artie Shaw , Fletcher Henderson , Sy Oliver and Duke Ellington ( Harlem Suite ). In 1952 he played with Dizzy Gillespie in Paris and was involved in his recordings for Disques Vogue ( Cognac Blues ). 1953 to 1955 he was an accompanist for Sarah Vaughan ; he worked u. a. in her legendary session with Clifford Brown and Herbie Mann . In 1953 he worked in the trio of pianist Arnold Ross ; Benjamin stayed again in Paris with Ross and Gillespie in October 1954 and played there with Don Byas and Henri Renaud . In 1957 he played in Mal Waldron's Trio; it accompanied the singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald during their performances at the Newport Jazz Festival . Also in 1957 he went on a European tour with Gerry Mulligan and worked there with Rolf Kühn ; In 1957/58 he worked with Louis Armstrong , Buddy Tate and Rex Stewart . In 1958 he formed a duo with Ellis Larkins and played briefly in the Dave Brubeck Quartet . In March 1959, he accompanied Billie Holiday on her last recording session before her death.

In the early 1960s he was on records by Max Roach , ( Alone Together ), Roland Kirk / Jack McDuff ( Kirk's Work 1961), Jerome Richardson , Harry Sweets Edison , Barry Harris , Joe Williams , Clark Terry ( Mellow Moods 1961 ) and the Prestige Blues Swingers , which included Vic Dickenson , Pee Wee Russell, and Buddy Tate. In 1964 he worked on Kenny Burrell's production of Guitar Forms . In 1968 he performed with Clark Terry's band in Newport.

Following Aaron Bell , Benjamin was one of the last bassists to work for Duke Ellington ; he was involved in its major suites, such as the New Orleans Suite and the Afro-Eurasian Suite , and in the 1970-1972 sessions published on Pablo as The Intimate Ellington and Up in Duke's Workshop .

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personal data
SURNAME Benjamin, Joe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Benjamin, Joseph Rupert (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz bassist
DATE OF BIRTH November 4, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH Atlantic City , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 1974
Place of death Livingston , New Jersey