A Day with Benny Golson & Wynton Marsalis

Adrian Butts (president of Tetra Speakers) and I recently took a trip to New York to set up a new system for Wynton Marsalis. Along the way we hung out with Benny Golson, Antonio Ciacca, Wes Anderson, and many other great musicians.

It was a fantastic trip filled with great music and real, down-to-earth people with a passion for what they do and the kind of talent and heart that makes their music, well... their music.

We started off the day by going to the home of our friend and client Benny Golson. We had previously set up a system for Benny at his Los Angeles home and he was so taken with it he asked us to set up a similar system for him in New York.

Benny is the kind of person you feel blessed to call a friend, no matter what his profession. He is bright, honest, passionate, and real. He is also amazingly on top of things. When Benny says he will do something, you know it will happen. When we got to his place, Antonio Ciacca was there, practicing (piano) for an upcoming gig. Like Benny, Antonio is a very special kind of person: a talented pianist, and a gregarious, spirited soul.

After discussing the possibilities for a system, we mostly just hung out and exchanged stories about our kids, musicians, and celebrities, and talked about upcoming projects. I had brought Benny a copy of the John Hicks CD we recently produced and he put it on. During the first track was a lick from Golson's "Killer Joe." I had forgotten that reference, and it was funny to hear it so plainly while sitting there with Benny. He told me about writing that piece, which has become one of a large number of jazz standards penned by him (it was also the piece used in the Steven Spielberg movie "The Terminal").

The first time we met Benny was in Los Angeles when we were setting up the Tetra 505s for him. He immediately fell in love with these speakers and has been a strong advocate for Tetra ever since.

In his New York apartment I was admiring a signed serigraph of his piece "I Remember Clifford" (for Clifford Brown). Benny saw this and before I knew it, he had sent a framed copy to me. That's the kind of person he is. Later that day at Wynton Marsalis' home, I found the same serigraph prominently displayed in his living room. This composition is just one of many standards Golson has penned. It has been recorded over 400 times. Golson tells a great story about how Dizzy first asked if he could record this piece. (Ask me about it.)
 

"I Remember Clifford," by Benny Golson (1957)

We then met up with Antonio and a friend of his at a great little Italian restaurant where we had lunch. Antonio had introduced Tony Bennett to this restaurant about a year ago, and I understand he now frequents it frequently.

After lunch we met up with Wynton at the Lincoln Center as he finished up a rehearsal, and we walked by his Juliard office and back to his home together. Earlier in the day I had been to Wynton's home and noticed a couple of chess boards on the table, so I asked him about them. "You play?", he asked. You bet! It may come as no surprise that people like Benny and Wynton are not only exceedingly talented and creative, but also very bright and accomplished in other areas. And this was no exception. Although I haven't played in many years, I consider myself a decent player. And though we're well-matched, he won the majority of the five games we played. I have to admit I was a bit flustered playing chess with Wynton, but he was a real gentleman and a joy to play against.

After the first three games we set up the speakers and I pulled out an unreleased recording a friend of mine made of Wynton in 1991. Wynton had not heard this recording in many years, and he listened with intensity to it. We listened to some other recordings as well. Wes Anderson (Wynton's saxophonist) was also there and marveled at the great sound from the Tetra speakers. He, unfortunately, had to leave after a while as he was playing at the Village Vanguard later that evening with his quartet.

Michael, Wes, Antonio, and Adrian (left to right)

Later that evening, Wynton had an errand to run and left us there with Antonio, who serenaded us on the piano. Wynton gave his old speakers to a friend of his, who borrowed our van to move them to his home. When Wynton came back we played a couple more games of chess, then we all went down to the Village Vanguard together to see Wes perform. Wes and his quartet were really great, and Wes played a ballad that knocked me out. For the last two numbers, Antonio sat in as a guest performer on the piano, and I sat on the side of the stage and basked in the music.

After the show we hung out for a long time talking with Wes and other musicians. I got to play a little number myself on the piano, which was a treat.

(See how happy I am?)

When the Vanguard wound down, Wes, Antonio, Adrian, and I went out for a late-night bite. I think it was about midnight. We dropped Wes and Antonio off at Wynton's and went back to our hotel. I discovered it was actually well past 3am. And I had a morning flight. Well, that's life in the Big Apple.

Wynton has asked me to come back and upgrade the rest of his system. I look forward to his hospitality, and I plan to even the score. P-K4.

Update: We recently went back to New York and upgraded the rest of Wynton's system. During the same trip we installed a new system for Mr. Ron Carter (bass legend with over 2500 recordings to his name) and also upgraded Benny Golson's system.