Benny Golson Plays Benny Golson with SNJO

Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh ★★★★

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra’s latest collaboration arguably took them even more firmly into the jazz tradition than any of their many previous, illustrious hook-ups. Seventy years ago, as a teenager, Benny Golson was jamming in his front room with his friend and fellow saxophonist John Coltrane.

That in itself is quite a thought to consider when watching Golson admiring what’s happening around him onstage. Even more thought provoking, though, is the fact that all of the compositions on the programme here, all written and arranged by Golson, have passed into the jazz lexicon to the extent that I Remember Clifford, a particular highlight here as a feature for Golson’s beautifully paced, golden toned ballad playing, has appeared on more than five hundred recordings. That’s being part of jazz history and no mistake.

Golson probably could have talked and shared jazz anecdotes for the whole evening. His introductions were revealing and entertaining in themselves but his music and playing were masterly. From the opening Whisper Not, with bassist Calum Gourlay authoritatively laying down the bluesy, swinging groove, this was a measured, tightly assured ensemble performance and if letting as many of the orchestra as possible get a piece of the soloing action on a major jazz standard such as Stablemates, with its creator in situ, proved too much of a temptation, then that’s understandable.

Killer Joe, with its two chord chassis and slice of social history inspiration, drew correspondingly deep in the idiom saxophone solos from Paul Towndrow (alto) and Konrad Wiszniewski (tenor) and elsewhere Tom MacNiven’s fleet flugelhorn phrasing earned a noticeably approving raised eyebrow from Golson.