Turning Point & Free (2 LP on 1 CD)

These two relatively rare early-60s Benny Golson albums catch him in powerful form. The tenor saxophonist had by then absorbed his original Don Byas-Lucky Thompson-Coleman Hawkins influences into a distinctively personal style which also showed he had listened to Sonny Rollins and Ben Webster. And, spurred on by two exceptional rhythm sections, he is emphatically his own man, delivering a series of fine solos on both albums.

The first, Turning Point, is marked by a considerable degree of excellent playing and stimulating interchanges, particularly involving a vibrant Wynton Kelly and the sheer lift and drive generated by Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. About the second albums title Free, Golson explained that, it does not mean free in the sense of abstraction or surrealism but rather as an opportunity to work within the framework of a quartet which offers me many more possibilities for exploring my horn. On it Tommy Flanagan contributes some gemlike solos and comps brilliantly, while Ron Carter and Art Taylor complete a supply supportive rhythm section. Throughout, the rich melodic content of Golsons solos and his vigorous attack are signal virtues of two rewarding albums.

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Press reviews

Notes on "Turning Point":

"Renamed Turning Point upon one of its reissues, this quartet set for tenor saxophonist Benny Golson was the beginning of the close of an era. Within a year, Golson would be working full-time as a writer in the studios, and he de-emphasized his playing until making a comeback in the late 1970s. Golson is heard on this LP for one of the last times playing in his original Don Byas/Lucky Thompson-influenced style. Joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, Golson performs two originals, plus five superior standards, including "How Am I To Know," "Three Little Words" and "Alone Together." A rewarding but sadly out-of-print set."

Scott Yanow -All Music Guide