Benjamin Waters (January 23, 1902, Brighton,
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
– August 11, 1998,
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages.
Columbia began with ...
) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. known in part for the longevity of his career.
He began on organ, then switched to clarinet and later added saxophone. The first band he joined in 1918 was Charly Miller's band. In 1922 he attended the
New England Conservatory of Music where he gave lessons to
Harry Carney
Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments but primarily used the baritone saxopho ...
.
From 1926 until 1931, he was a member of
Charlie Johnson's band.
Later he worked with
King Oliver,
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musi ...
,
Claude Hopkins, and others.
During these years he made several recordings with King Oliver and
Clarence Williams.
During 1941–1942 he played with the
Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra,
and later in the 1940s with
Roy Milton. After that he started his own band and played at the Red Mill in New York. After New York he lived for four years in California.
From 1952 to 1992, he lived in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France.
In 1996, he received the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
from the French Ministry of Culture. He continued to perform regularly up to his 95th birthday.
Waters became blind in 1992 due to cataracts.
Discography
As leader
* ''Blue Waters'' (
Supraphon, 1976)
* ''Benny Waters & the Traditional Jazz Studio'' (I Giganti Del Jazz, 1976)
* ''When You're Smiling'' (
Hep, 1980)
* ''On the Sunny Side of the Street'' (
JSP, 1981)
* ''Hurry on Down'' (
Storyville, 1981)
* ''Mature Black Beauty'' (w/Christiania Jazzband) (
Hot Club/
Jon Larsen
Jon Larsen (born 7 January 1959) is a gypsy jazz guitarist, record producer, painter, and amateur scientific researcher. He is the founder of the group Hot Club de Norvège. In 2007 he received the Buddy Award for his lifelong contribution to ...
, 1983)
* ''From Paradise (Small's) to Shangri La'' (
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
, 1987) also released as ''Hearing is Convincing''
* ''Memories of the Twenties'' (
Stomp Off
Stomp Off is an American jazz record company and label founded in 1980 by Bob Erdos in York, Pennsylvania. The label's first release was ''Feelin' Devilish'' by Waldo's Gutbucket Serenaders.
It was described in 1986 as concentrating on "jazz in t ...
, 1988)
* ''Benny Waters Freddy Randall Jazz Band'' (
Jazzology
Jazzology Records is an American jazz record company and label. It is part of the Jazzology group of labels owned and operated by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation.
Jazzology Records was founded in 1949 by George H. Buck, Jr. That year he ...
, 1989)
* ''Swinging Again'' (Jazz Point, 1993)
* ''Plays Songs of Love'' (Jazz Point, 1993)
* ''Jazz Live'' (Laserlight, 1997)
* ''Birdland Birthday Live at 95'' (
Enja
Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971.
The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...
, 1997)
* ''Great Traditionalists and Quartier Latin Jazz Band'' (Jazz Point, 1998)
* ''Live at the Pawnshop'' (Opus 3, 1999)
As sideman
* 1978 ''Roy Milton & His Solid Senders'',
Roy Milton
* 1980 ''Harlem Shout'',
Jimmie Lunceford
* 1991 ''1926–1928'',
King Oliver
* 1991 ''1928–1930'', King Oliver
* 1991 ''1938–1940'',
Hot Lips Page
* 1992 ''Groovy Blues, Vol. 2'', Roy Milton
* 1993 ''1937–1940'',
Claude Hopkins
* 1993 ''The Collection, Vol. 1: 1927–1928'',
Clarence Williams
* 1994 ''Blowin' with Roy'', Roy Milton
* 1995 ''Live at the Riverside'',
Adelaide Hall
Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her long career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death and she was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Hal ...
* 1996 ''Story 1928–1944'',
Sidney De Paris
Sidney De Paris (May 30, 1905 – September 13, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter. His brother was Wilbur de Paris.
He was a member of Charlie Johnson's Paradise Ten (1926–1931), worked with Don Redman (1932–1936 and 1939), followed by ...
* 1996 ''The Complete Sessions'',
Charlie Johnson
References
External links
NPR Profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waters, Benny
1902 births
1998 deaths
Swing saxophonists
Swing clarinetists
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American jazz clarinetists
Muse Records artists
Enja Records artists
Blind musicians
20th-century American saxophonists
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Statesmen of Jazz members