A Solid Swing Session in Bennie Green's Middle Years
Green and Griffin trade solos with easy confidence, the rhythm section locked in tight behind them.
By 1961, Bennie Green had already established himself as a dependable trombonist with a warm tone and solid swing feel. Glidin' Along sits squarely in his working years — not a debut statement, not a peak moment, but a professional session that does exactly what it sets out to do. This is the kind of album that kept a career moving forward without fanfare.
Green leads a straightforward quintet through a set of standards and blues, anchored by the rhythm section of Junior Mance on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Johnny Griffin brings his tenor saxophone into the mix, and the two horns find an easy rapport trading solos. The music swings without strain — there's no pretense here, no overreaching. Mance comps smartly, Riley keeps things moving, and Chambers holds down the low end with the steadiness you'd expect from someone who played with everyone.
This isn't the album to start with if you're exploring Green's catalog, and it won't reshape how you think about early sixties hard bop. But if you appreciate straightforward blowing sessions where capable musicians show up and play well together, it delivers. The kind of session that was common currency in jazz at the time — valuable work, well executed, worth the listen if you're already interested in Green or Griffin.
Who's playing
Larry Galesbass
Paul Chambersbass
Junior Mancepiano
Johnny Griffintenor saxophone
Bennie Greentrombone
Ben Rileydrums
