The name Norman Granz isn’t familiar to most people, though he was among the most important figures in the history of jazz. Granz took jazz out of clubs and brought it to the concert hall stage. He was manager to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, founded Verve Records, and created “Jazz at the Philharmonic.” He also was passionate about his commitment to equality and active in the Civil Rights Movement. An elite trio of jazz musicians — Benny Green, John Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton — will pay tribute to Norman Granz on April 28 in the Rich Auditorium of the Woodruff Arts Center. Oscar Peterson’s daughter, Céline, will emcee the program, which is presented by Neranenah, formerly the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. The celebrated jazz pianist Benny Green joined “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes via Zoom to talk more about the event and his friendships with some of the biggest jazz legends.
What to expect at Thursday’s concert:
“John Clayton, who’s very much a musical son of Ray Brown, and Jeff Hamilton, who played alongside me and Ray Brown’s trio as well as having played in and recorded with Oscar Peterson himself, we’re going to be featuring primarily music and arrangements by Ray Brown … and some by Oscar Peterson,” said Green.
“In keeping not only with the theme of our event saluting the great Norman Granz but in fact, we are family of a sort — John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton are musical big brothers of mine; friends and lifelong teachers as well,” Green said. He added, “I like to leave a little bit to spontaneity.”
Barely out of his teens, how Green’s star-studded jazz career began:
“I was playing at a club in Long Island, Seaford, Long Island, that was called Sonny’s Place. And Betty [Carter] happened to drive by with some friends, saw live jazz on the marquee, and she heard me and liked my playing,” recalled Green. “I had turned 20 at the time, and Betty took me on the road with her for four years playing every tempo and every key — for a very demanding, a most demanding bandleader, and she taught me and helped me so much.”
“The occasion of my leaving Betty’s band was that Art Blakey invited me to join the Jazz Messengers, and I was with the Messengers for a few years before I joined Freddie Hubbard, and playing with Freddie dovetailed with my joining Ray Brown’s trio. But my years with Ray were so joyous, and through Ray, I met his musical brother, Oscar Peterson, who took me under his wing and named me as his protégé, to my supreme honor.”
Meditations on inspiration and authenticity:
“I think I’ve always been the same person who’s liked certain records, certain players and gone with what he likes, and not really concerned myself with trends. So I guess to put a finer point on it … I’m not scrambling for momentary relevance,” said Green. “I’ve never really had a pretense, myself, of trying to innovate. I think true innovation occurs but I think endeavoring to innovate is sort of an egotistical pursuit … I just know the music that I love, and I’ve always personally just wanted to be more authentic to that sound and feeling.”
“If I could sound more like some of my heroes, I’d be happy. In not so many words, I just want to say, I don’t really sit up and scratch my head about, ‘What are the kids doing right now?’ Or, ‘What’s on the cover of the magazine right now, and how can I fit into that?’ I just want to be a better version of Benny.”
Neranenah presents “Celebrating Norman Granz with Benny Green, John Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton” at the Rich Auditorium at Woodruff Arts Center on April 28, 7:30 PM. Tickets and more information are available at www.woodruffcenter.org/rich-theatre-events.
