Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. (July 17, 1933 – November 18, 2017) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

drummer known for his work with

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

, as well as

Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

, Stan Getz,

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group

Sphere A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is th ...

. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a member of the

New York Jazz Quartet The New York Jazz Quartet was founded by pianist Roland Hanna. First consisting of flautist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Billy Cobham, in 1974 the lineup changed to Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Ben Riley. Richie P ...

Biography

Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. was born in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

, on July 17, 1933, and at the age of four moved with his family to New York City. "Riley performed with

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious ...

, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz,

Junior Mance Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. (October 10, 1928 – January 17, 2021), known as Junior Mance, was an American jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early life (1928–1947) Mance was born in Evanston, Illinois. When he was five years old, Mance st ...

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

–

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

(1960–1962), Ahmad Jamal,

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

, and

Ray Bryant Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had tau ...

." He then spent 1964 to 1967 in

's quartet. After Monk, he played with

(intermittently between 1968 and 1975), Ron Carter (1975–1977), Jim Hall (1981), and the bands the

(1970s and 1980s) and

. He also played frequently with pianist

Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

. Riley died of lung disease and complications of diabetes in

West Islip, New York West Islip is a hamlet and CDP founded roughly in 1683, located in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Situated on the South Shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 27,048 at the time of the 2020 census. ...

on November 18, 2017, aged 84

Discography

As leader

* ''Weaver of Dreams'' (Joken, 1996) – recorded in 1993 * ''Memories of T'' (Concord, 2006) * ''Grown Folks Music'' (Sunnyside, 2012)

As sideman

With

Noah Baerman Noah Baerman (born March 6, 1975) is an American jazz pianist and educator best known in Connecticut's jazz circles. Early life and education Baerman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He earned a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in jazz ...

*''Patch Kit'' (CD Baby, 2006) with Ron Carter With Chet Baker *'' As Time Goes By'' (Timeless, 1986) *'' Cool Cat'' (Timeless, 1986 989 With Bill Barron *''

Variations in Blue ''Variations in Blue'' is an album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1983 and first released on the Muse label.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 ...

, 1983) *''

Live at Cobi's 2 ''Live at Cobi's 2'' is a live album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1985 and released posthumously on the SteepleChase label in 2006.

'' (SteepleChase, 1885

006 Alec Trevelyan (006) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film '' GoldenEye'', the first film to feature actor Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Trevelyan is portrayed by actor Sean Bean. The likeness of Bean as Ale ...

*''

The Next Plateau ''The Next Plateau'' is an album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1987 and first released on the Muse label.989 *''

Live at Cobi's ''Live at Cobi's'' is a live album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1987 and 1988 and released posthumously on the SteepleChase label in 2005. Reception In JazzTimes Chris Kelsey wrote "Straightahead tenor players who regularl ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1988-89

005 ''005'' is a 1981 arcade game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings". It is one of the first examples of a ...

With Kenny Barron *''

Innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience. In relation ...

'' (Wolf, 1978) *'' Golden Lotus'' (Muse, 1980

982 Year 982 ( CMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Emperor Otto II (the Red) assembles an imperial expeditionary force at Tar ...

*''

Imo Live ''Imo Live'' is a live album by pianist Kenny Barron that was recorded in Japan in 1982 and first released on the Whynot label in 1982 before being reissued on CD by Candid Records in 2010 as ''Live''.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography access ...

'' (Whynot, 1982) *'' Green Chimneys'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1983) *'' The Only One'' (Reservoir, 1990) *'' Lemuria-Seascape'' (Candid, 1991) *'' Live at Bradley's'' (EmArcy, 1996

001 001, O01, or OO1 may refer to: *1 (number), a number, a numeral *001, fictional British agent, see 00 Agent *001, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian fire brigade (until 1986) *AM-RB 001, the code-name for the Aston Martin Valkyrie ...

*'' Live at Bradley's II'' (Sunnyside, 1996

002 002, 0O2, O02, OO2, or 002 may refer to: Fiction *002, fictional British 00 Agent *''002 Operazione Luna'', *1965 Italian film *Zero Two, a ''Darling in the Franxx'' character Airports *0O2, Baker Airport *O02, Nervino Airport Astronomy *1996 ...

*'' Minor Blues'' (Venus, 2009) With

Gary Bartz Gary Bartz (born September 26, 1940) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has won two Grammy Awards. Biography Bartz studied at the Juilliard School. In the early 1960s, he performed with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Wor ...

*'' Episode One: Children of Harlem'' (Challenge, 1994) With Ted Brown *'' In Good Company'' (Criss Cross, 1985) with

Jimmy Raney James Elbert Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 10, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist, born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) and ...

With

*'' Live at Basin Street East'' (Sue, 1964) *''

Cold Turkey "Cold turkey" refers to the abrupt cessation of a substance dependence and the resulting unpleasant experience, as opposed to gradually easing the process through reduction over time or by using replacement medication. Sudden withdrawal from dru ...

'' (Sue, 1964) With

*'' Listen to the Dawn'' (Muse, 1980

983 Year 983 ( CMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Diet of Verona: Emperor Otto II (the Red) declares war against the Byza ...

*''

Groovin' High "Groovin' High" is an influential 1945 song by jazz composer and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The song was a bebop mainstay that became a jazz standard, one of Gillespie's best known hits, and according to ''Bebop: The Music and Its Players'' author ...

'' (Muse, 1981

984 Year 984 ( CMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – German boy-king Otto III (4-years old) is seized by the deposed Henry II ...

With Ron Carter * '' Yellow & Green'' (CTI, 1976) * '' Piccolo'' (Milestone, 1977) * ''

Peg Leg A pegleg is a prosthesis, or artificial limb, fitted to the remaining stump of a human leg. Its use dates to antiquity. History By the late 19th century, prosthetics vendors would offer peglegs as cheaper alternatives to more intricate, lifeli ...

'' (Milestone, 1978) * '' Pick 'Em'' (Milestone, 1978 980 With

* ''

A Monastic Trio ''A Monastic Trio'' is the first solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded in 1968 at the John Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, New York, and was released later that year by Impulse! Records. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano and harp, and is ...

'' (1968) * '' Ptah, the El Daoud'' (1970) * ''

World Galaxy ''World Galaxy'' is the sixth solo album by Alice Coltrane. It was recorded in November 1971 in New York City, and was released in 1972 by Impulse! Records. On the album, Coltrane appears on piano, organ, harp, tamboura, and percussion, and is join ...

'' (1972) * '' Lord of Lords'' (1972) * '' Live at the Berkeley Community Theater 1972'' (BCT, 1972

019 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

With

* ''

Afro-Jaws ''Afro-Jaws'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside Records, Riverside label.Ricky Ford Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Ford was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States,) and studied at the New England Conservatory. Ricky Ford AllMusic In 1974, he recorded with Gunther Schulle ...

* '' Manhattan Blues'' (Candid, 1989) * '' Ebony Rhapsody'' (Candid, 1990) * '' American-African Blues'' (Candid, 1991) With

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

* '' Stepping Out'' (Galaxy, 1978) * '' So Long Blues'' (Galaxy, 1979

981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...

* '' Strike Up the Band'' (Galaxy, 1979

With Benny Golson * ''

Time Speaks ''Time Speaks'', subtitled ''Dedicated to the Memory of Clifford Brown'', is an album by saxophonist/composer Benny Golson that was recorded in 1982 and released on the Japanese Baystate label the following year. The album features trumpeters Fre ...

'' (Baystate, 1983) with Freddie Hubbard and

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

With

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

* ''

Glidin' Along ''Glidin' Along'' is an album by American trombonist Bennie Green recorded in 1961 and released on the Jazzland label.

'' (1961) With

* ''

Battle Stations General quarters, battle stations, or action stations is an announcement made aboard a naval warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the arme ...

'' (Prestige, 1960) – with

* '' Johnny Griffin’s Studio Jazz Party'' (Riverside, 1960) * '' Tough Tenors'' (Jazzland, 1960) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * '' Griff & Lock'' (Jazzland, 1960) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * '' The First Set'' (Prestige, 1961) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * '' The Tenor Scene'' (Prestige, 1961) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * ''

The Late Show The Late Show may refer to: Books * ''The Late Show'' (book), a 2017 book by Michael Connelly Film * ''The Late Show'' (film), a 1977 film * ''Late Show'', a 1999 German film by director Helmut Dietl Music * ''The Late Show'' (Eddie "Loc ...

'' (Prestige, 1961) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * ''

The Midnight Show The Midnight Show was a Los Angeles-based sketch comedy group which performed monthly at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Founded in 2008, the show owed its notoriety not only to production of several viral and mature-themed internet videos ...

'' (Prestige, 1961) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * ''

Lookin' at Monk! ''Lookin' at Monk!'' is an album by saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis featuring compositions associated with Thelonious Monk recorded in 1961 and released on the Jazzland label.Change of Pace'' (Riverside, 1961) * '' Blues Up & Down'' (Jazzland, 1961) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * '' White Gardenia'' (Riverside, 1961) * '' The Kerry Dancers'' (Riverside, 1961–62) * ''

Tough Tenor Favorites ''Tough Tenor Favorites'' is an album by saxophonists Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin recorded in 1962 and released on the Jazzland label.

'' (Jazzland, 1962) – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis With Michael Franks * ''

Tiger in the Rain ''Tiger in the Rain'' is an album by singer-songwriter Michael Franks, released in 1979 on Warner Bros. It was his first album not produced by Tommy LiPuma, Al Schmitt, and Lee Hershberg. The album was arranged and produced by John Simon. Fran ...

'' With Andrew Hill * '' Lift Every Voice'' (Blue Note, 1969) * '' Shades'' (Soul Note, 1986) With

Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...

* ''

Bop Redux ''Bop Redux'' is an album by pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Ben Riley recorded in 1977 for the Muse label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars, calling it "a set of high-quality explorations of eight bop standar ...

'' (Muse, 1977) * The Great Jazz Trio, ''What's New'' ( Baybridge, 1998) With Sam Jones * '' Down Home'' (Riverside, 1962) With

* ''

Junior Mance Trio at the Village Vanguard ''Junior Mance Trio at the Village Vanguard'' is a live album by jazz pianist Junior Mance which was recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961 and released on the Jazzland label.

'' (Jazzland, 1961) With Ken McIntyre * '' Year of the Iron Sheep'' (United Artists, 1962) With

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

*'' Some Blues'' (Chiaroscuro, 1993) With

* ''

It's Monk's Time ''It's Monk's Time'' (1964) is the third studio album Thelonious Monk released on Columbia Records, and his sixth overall for that label. Allmusic entry for ''It's Monk's Time'' It featured three original compositions as well as three jazz sta ...

'' (1964) * ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

'' (1964) * ''

Live at the It Club ''Live at the It Club'' is a Thelonious Monk album released posthumously by Columbia Records. Recorded October 31 and November 1, 1964, at the "It" Club in Los Angeles, California, the album features Monk's quartet—with Charlie Rouse on teno ...

'' (1964) * '' Straight, No Chaser'' (1967) * ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

'' (1968) With

Freddie Redd Freddie Redd (May 29, 1928 – March 17, 2021) was an American hard-bop pianist and composer. He is best known for writing music to accompany '' The Connection'' (1959), a play by Jack Gelber. According to Peter Watrous, writing in ''The New Y ...

*'' Lonely City'' (Uptown, 1985 989 With Sonny Rollins * '' The Bridge'' (RCA Victor, 1962) * ''

What's New? What's New?" is a 1939 popular song composed by Bob Haggart, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was originally an instrumental tune titled "I'm Free" by Haggart in 1938, when Haggart was a member of Bob Crosby and His Orchestra. The tune was writt ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1962) With

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Wash ...

* ''

Moment's Notice "Moment's Notice" is a "classic" jazz standard composed by John Coltrane. The song was featured on Coltrane's noted 1958 recording '' Blue Train''. History Coltrane never recorded "Moment's Notice" after the version on ''Blue Train''. But other s ...

'' (Storyville/Jazzcraft, 1978) With

Jack Sheldon Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019), known professionally as Jack Sheldon, was an American singer, musician, and actor. He performed on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational musi ...

*''

Playing for Change Playing For Change is a multimedia music project, featuring musicians and singers from across the globe, co-founded in 2002 by American Grammy award-winning music producer/engineer and award-winning film director Mark Johnson and film producer/ph ...

'' (Uptown, 1986

997 Year 997 (Roman numerals, CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first ...

With

*''

Four in One ''Four in One'' is the umbrella title for a wheel series broadcast in the United States on the NBC television network as part of its 1970-71 schedule in the Wednesday 10 PM Eastern time slot. ''Four in One'' consisted of six episodes of each of ...

'' (Elektra/Musician, 1982) *''

Flight Path In the United States, airways or air routes are defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in two ways: "VOR Federal airways and Low/Medium Frequency (L/MF) (Colored) Federal airways" These are designated routes which aeroplanes f ...

'' (Elektra/Musician, 1983) *''

Sphere On Tour ''Sphere On Tour'' is a live album by the group Sphere (American band), Sphere featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Ben Riley, recorded in Italy in 1985 and released on the Italian Red Rec ...

'' (Red, 1985) *'' Pumpkin's Delight'' (Red, 1986

993 Year 993 ( CMXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The 12-year-old King Otto III gives the Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damian ...

*'' Four for All'' (Verve, 1987) * ''

Bird Songs Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...

'' (1988) * ''

Sphere A sphere () is a Geometry, geometrical object that is a solid geometry, three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...

'' (1998) With

Jeremy Steig Jeremy Steig (September 23, 1942 – April 13, 2016)Peter Keepnews, "Jeremy ...

*''

Flute Fever ''Flute Fever'' is the debut album by American jazz flautist Jeremy Steig released on the Columbia label in 1964.Horace Tapscott Horace Elva Tapscott (April 6, 1934 – February 27, 1999) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He formed the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (also known as P.A.P.A., or The Ark) in 1961 and led the ensemble through the 1990s. Early lif ...

* ''

Dissent or Descent ''Dissent or Descent'' is an album by American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott recorded in 1984 but not released on the Nimbus West label until 1998.998 Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...

With

Roseanna Vitro Roseanna Elizabeth Vitro (born February 28, 1951) is a jazz singer and teacher from Arkansas. Biography Born Roseanna Elizabeth VitroScott Fredrickson and Gary W. Kennedy.Vitro (Wickliffe), Roseanna" In ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2 ...

* '' Listen Here'' (Texas Rose, 1984) With

Larry Willis Lawrence Elliott Willis (December 20, 1942 – September 29, 2019) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He performed in a wide range of styles, including jazz fusion, Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, and avant-garde jazz, avant-garde. Willis was b ...

*'' A Tribute to Someone'' (AudioQuest, 1994)

References

External links

* *
Ben Riley
interview at ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Riley, Ben 1933 births 2017 deaths 20th-century African-American musicians African-American jazz musicians American jazz drummers Hard bop drummers Thelonious Monk New York Jazz Quartet members Musicians from New York (state) Sphere (American band) members Sunnyside Records artists