Benny Green

Benny Green is an American hard bop pianist and bandleader whose swinging, two-handed style carries forward the lineage of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson. Born in New York in 1963 and raised in Berkeley, California, he came up under the mentorship of Betty Carter, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, and Ray Brown. He held the piano chair in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from 1987 to 1989 and later joined Ray Brown's trio, succeeding Gene Harris. Across more than a hundred recording sessions he has built a celebrated career as a leader, recording for labels including Blue Note.