JAM Magazine: October/November 1998 Issue: Scrapple From The Apple

by Russ Dantzler

Benjamin Arthur "Benny" Waters
January 23, 1902 -- August 11, 1998
Early on August 11, 1998, jazz saxophone patriarch Benny Waters was rushed to a hospital in Columbia, Maryland, where he died that day. Many people reacted with "he had a good run, didn't he," or similar thoughts. For myself and others, however, this was a surprise.

Why, at the age of 96, should this not be expected? Especially considering that he'd been having circulatory and lung problems? Because, in my last conversations with Benny, he still had strength and determination in his voice and spirit that had nothing to do with age, frailty or quitting. When he last played on June 24, everyone agreed that he played very powerfully and very well.

"It's just amazing what he did past the age of 90," said Benny Carter, who had known Waters longer than any musician today. "I certainly enjoyed our time together in Charlie Johnson's Band."

Waters' world-wide reputation had its impressive start in New York City in 1926 when he joined the Johnson band. Carter later made his first recording with them, right next to an older Benny Waters. Waters was then a man of 25. He had been conservatory trained in harmony, theory and solfeggio. He had already arranged for and recorded with King Oliver. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Waters had done a couple of years of one-on-one jazz tutoring for a young Harry Carney. Carney was also studying at the Boston Conservatory, where only "legitimate" music was taught. But he wanted to learn to improvise as he'd heard Waters do on the radio.

"Benny was the deepest living root of America's proudest art form."

Benny had many other great American jazz footnotes, such as playing the Apollo Theater when Ella Fitzgerald first sang and arranging for Fletcher Henderson. But most of what he accomplished for himself in the jazz world occurred during his 40-year stay Europe. He was based in Paris starting in 1952. There he made the complete transformation from sideman to leader and featured attraction. He drove all over Europe with a trunk full of horns, normally playing tenor, alto and clarinet on each gig.

Jazz audiences in the United States were unaware Benny Waters had reached new horizons until shortly after he returned home. He was soon named a charter member of the Statesmen of Jazz, which began touring in the spring of 1995 nationwide and internationally. Benny made his only trip to Japan (with the Statesmen) in September of '97.

He had five days at home to prepare for that Japan trip after returning from 46 European engagements. In October of '97 he played the only week-long engagement he'd ever led in New York City at Sweet Basil. And earlier that year he recorded his last CD as a leader on the occasion of his 95th birthday, Benny Waters Birdland Birthday: Live at 95 (Enja).

Benny Waters was an uncompromising perfectionist in his music and his life. He spoke of two people, Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan, who he considered to be not only great musicians, but "complete entertainers." I believe that Benny belonged in that elite category. He readily spoke of humor as an important ingredient in every performance. He privately related his belief that one of the reasons God had put him on earth was as an example to help to break down racial barriers.

Benny was the deepest living root of America's proudest art form. Although that root has broken away, it nourished and supported a jazz tree that thrives in part because of what passed through him. Each and every musician and individual who was fortunate enough to know Benny was effected by him favorably and profoundly.

In his New York Times obit on Benny, jazz writer Ben Ratliff reflected: "... his phrasing still had the signature of a man who was a contender in the 1930s; his rounded, swooping alto saxophone lines and plush vibrato advertised his authenticity as surely as the stylish American diction heard in James Cagney movies."

Benny's version of "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" was the recorded prelude that began a memorial for him on September 9 at a full Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan. Rather than talk, there were mostly jazz tributes by David (Fathead) Newman, Arvell Shaw, Al Grey, Earl May, Benny Powell, Chuck Folds, Joe Cohn, Joe Ascione, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli, Eddie de Hass, Joe Temperley, Bross Townsend, Ed Polcer, Vince Giordano and others. Most of the musicians who wanted to play were not able to due to reasonable time constraints. As Benny Powell indicated might have been said in his birthplace of New Orleans, "We put the brother away righteously."

Jazz authorities indicate that Benny Waters was one of only seven survivors of jazz recordings in the 1920s who were still active, along with Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Spiegel Willcox, Narvin Kimball and Rosy McHargue. Now there are six.

A special memorial to Benny has been posted on the web by Dean Hampton at: http://soho.ios.com/~hotjazz/HOTJAZZ.html

RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 MAIN INDEX

------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		by Russ Dantzler Benjamin Arthur "Benny" Waters January 23, 1902 -- August 11, 1998 Early on August 11, 1998, jazz saxophone patriarch Benny Waters was rushed to a hospital in Columbia, Maryland, where he died that day. Many people reacted with "he had a good run, didn't he," or similar thoughts. For myself and others, however, this was a surprise. Why, at the age of 96, should this not be expected? Especially considering that he'd been having circulatory and lung problems? Because, in my last conversations with Benny, he still had strength and determination in his voice and spirit that had nothing to do with age, frailty or quitting. When he last played on June 24, everyone agreed that he played very powerfully and very well. "It's just amazing what he did past the age of 90," said Benny Carter, who had known Waters longer than any musician today. "I certainly enjoyed our time together in Charlie Johnson's Band." Waters' world-wide reputation had its impressive start in New York City in 1926 when he joined the Johnson band. Carter later made his first recording with them, right next to an older Benny Waters. Waters was then a man of 25. He had been conservatory trained in harmony, theory and solfeggio. He had already arranged for and recorded with King Oliver. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Waters had done a couple of years of one-on-one jazz tutoring for a young Harry Carney. Carney was also studying at the Boston Conservatory, where only "legitimate" music was taught. But he wanted to learn to improvise as he'd heard Waters do on the radio. "Benny was the deepest living root of America's proudest art form." Benny had many other great American jazz footnotes, such as playing the Apollo Theater when Ella Fitzgerald first sang and arranging for Fletcher Henderson. But most of what he accomplished for himself in the jazz world occurred during his 40-year stay Europe. He was based in Paris starting in 1952. There he made the complete transformation from sideman to leader and featured attraction. He drove all over Europe with a trunk full of horns, normally playing tenor, alto and clarinet on each gig. Jazz audiences in the United States were unaware Benny Waters had reached new horizons until shortly after he returned home. He was soon named a charter member of the Statesmen of Jazz, which began touring in the spring of 1995 nationwide and internationally. Benny made his only trip to Japan (with the Statesmen) in September of '97. He had five days at home to prepare for that Japan trip after returning from 46 European engagements. In October of '97 he played the only week-long engagement he'd ever led in New York City at Sweet Basil. And earlier that year he recorded his last CD as a leader on the occasion of his 95th birthday, Benny Waters Birdland Birthday: Live at 95 (Enja). Benny Waters was an uncompromising perfectionist in his music and his life. He spoke of two people, Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan, who he considered to be not only great musicians, but "complete entertainers." I believe that Benny belonged in that elite category. He readily spoke of humor as an important ingredient in every performance. He privately related his belief that one of the reasons God had put him on earth was as an example to help to break down racial barriers. Benny was the deepest living root of America's proudest art form. Although that root has broken away, it nourished and supported a jazz tree that thrives in part because of what passed through him. Each and every musician and individual who was fortunate enough to know Benny was effected by him favorably and profoundly. In his New York Times obit on Benny, jazz writer Ben Ratliff reflected: "... his phrasing still had the signature of a man who was a contender in the 1930s; his rounded, swooping alto saxophone lines and plush vibrato advertised his authenticity as surely as the stylish American diction heard in James Cagney movies." Benny's version of "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" was the recorded prelude that began a memorial for him on September 9 at a full Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan. Rather than talk, there were mostly jazz tributes by David (Fathead) Newman, Arvell Shaw, Al Grey, Earl May, Benny Powell, Chuck Folds, Joe Cohn, Joe Ascione, Kenny Davern, Bucky Pizzarelli, Eddie de Hass, Joe Temperley, Bross Townsend, Ed Polcer, Vince Giordano and others. Most of the musicians who wanted to play were not able to due to reasonable time constraints. As Benny Powell indicated might have been said in his birthplace of New Orleans, "We put the brother away righteously." Jazz authorities indicate that Benny Waters was one of only seven survivors of jazz recordings in the 1920s who were still active, along with Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Spiegel Willcox, Narvin Kimball and Rosy McHargue. Now there are six. A special memorial to Benny has been posted on the web by Dean Hampton at: http://soho.ios.com/~hotjazz/HOTJAZZ.html RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.