Joseph Rupert Benjamin (November 4, 1919 – January 26, 1974) 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

bassist. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin played with many jazz musicians in a variety of idioms. Early in his career he played in the

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

s of Artie Shaw, Fletcher Henderson, Sy Oliver, and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

. Later credits include work with Roland Kirk, Hank Garland, Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland,

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

(in his later years),

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

, Jo Jones, Gary Burton, Sarah Vaughan, Roy Haynes, Art Taylor, and Brother Jack McDuff. Benjamin never recorded as a leader.

Partial discography

As sideman

With Bob Brookmeyer *'' Traditionalism Revisited'' (World Pacific, 1957) With Oscar Brown *''Sin & Soul'' (Columbia, 1960) With Kenny Burrell *'' Weaver of Dreams'' (Columbia, 1961) *'' Guitar Forms'' (Verve, 1965) With Dave Brubeck *''

Newport 1958 ''Newport 1958'' is a 1958 album by Duke Ellington, recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival of that year and later in the Columbia recording studio. It was released two years after '' Ellington at Newport'', the 1956 album that led to Ellington's ...

'' (Columbia, 1958) *'' Jazz Impressions of Eurasia'' (Columbia, 1958) With Ray Charles *'' Genius + Soul = Jazz'' (Impulse!, 1961) With Harry Edison *'' The Swinger'' (Verve, 1958) *'' Harry Edison Swings Buck Clayton'' (Verve, 1958) with Buck Clayton *'' Mr. Swing'' (Verve, 1960) With

*''

All Star Road Band ''All Star Road Band'' is a live album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded at Sunset Ballroom in Carrolltown, Pennsylvania for radio broadcast and first released as a double LP on Bob Thiele's Doctor Jazz label ...

'' (Doctor Jazz, 1983) With

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

*'' The Great Blue Star Sessions 1952-1953'' (EmArcy, 2004) With Barry Harris *'' Preminado'' (Riverside, 1961) With Roy Haynes *'' Jazz Abroad'' (Emarcy, 1955) With

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

*'' Triple Play'' (RCA Victor, 1967) With Budd Johnson *'' Blues a la Mode'' (Felsted, 1958) *'' Budd Johnson and the Four Brass Giants'' (Riverside, 1960) With Roland Kirk *'' Kirk's Work'' (Prestige, 1961) With Gary McFarland *'' The Jazz Version of "How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying"'' (Verve, 1962) With Carmen McRae *'' Book of Ballads'' (Kapp, 1958) With Gerry Mulligan *'' The Teddy Wilson Trio & Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Bob Brookmeyer at Newport'' (Verve, 1957) *'' Blues in Time'' (Verve, 1957) with Paul Desmond *'' Two of a Mind'' (RCA Victor, 1962) with Paul Desmond With

Jerome Richardson Jerome Richardson (December 25, 1920 – June 23, 2000) was an American jazz musician and woodwind player. He is cited as playing one of the earliest jazz flute recordings with his work on the 1949 Quincy Jones arranged song "Kingfish". Caree ...

*''

Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by H ...

'' (New Jazz, 1959) With Al Sears *'' Things Ain't What They Used to Be'' (Swingville, 1961) as part of the Prestige Swing Festival With Joya Sherrill *'' Joya Sherrill Sings Duke'' (20th Century Fox, 1965) With Rex Stewart *'' Rendezvous with Rex'' (Felsted, 1958) With

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

*'' Sonny Stitt & the Top Brass'' (Atlantic, 1962) With Buddy Tate *'' Swinging Like Tate'' (Felsted, 1958) With Clark Terry *'' Color Changes'' (Candid, 1960) *'' Everything's Mellow'' (Moodsville, 1961) With The Three Playmates *'' The Three Playmates'' - The Three Playmates with George Barrow,

, Budd Johnson, Sam Price, Kenny Burrell, Joe Benjamin, Bobby Donaldson, Ernie Wilkins (arranger) (Savoy Records, 1957)Savoy Records discography
Jazzdisco.org. Retrieved 24 June 2013. With Sarah Vaughan *'' Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown'' (EmArcy, 1954) *'' In the Land of Hi-Fi'' (EmArcy, 1955) *'' Swingin' Easy'' (EmArcy, 1957) With

*'' The Quest'' (New Jazz, 1961) With Kai Winding *'' Dance to the City Beat'' (Columbia, 1959)

References

* Joe Benjaminat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

1919 births 1974 deaths American jazz double-bassists American male double-bassists Musicians from Atlantic City, New Jersey 20th-century American double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians {{double-bassist-stub