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You've got to love any record with a song called My Girl Bill. (Bill, it turns out, was the childhood nickname of his fiancee, Lisa. It's a cool tune, too.). On this, his eighth outing as a leader, Benny finally confronts new territory. Where previous releases have dealt almost entirely with the development of trio sound, Kaleidoscope is a sextet. The sidemen are a mix of old and new: veterans Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine, and Lewis Nash, along with new comers Russell Malone, and Antonio Hart. It's a big group, but Benny utilizes them in unusual, interesting ways. It's definitely not your typical Art Blakey head-solo-solo-solo...solo-head sound (fortunately!).

Benny lets his influences emerge through the compositions. The title track blantanly pays homage to McCoy's late 60's classic, Expansions. The beautiful waltz, Thursday's Lullaby, acts as a subtle reminder of Herbie Hancock's Speak Like Child complete with the lush ensemble parts behind a delicate piano lead. And no Benny Green project is complete without a Bobby Timmons moment, which comes in the form of The Sexy Mexy. It should be noted that the sources for these influences all utilized Ron Carter as their bassist. Very subtle, indeed! The remaining tracks provide less interest, the exception being the duet Benny plays with Ron Carter, Patience. A lovely chemistry develops.

In 1987 he appeared on two projects that let him stretch out. One was alto-saxophonist Jim Snidero's debut and the other was Art Blakey's Not Yet. It's still the best he's ever sounded to me. Overall, Kaleidoscope is a pretty good effort from someone that clearly does not realize his own potential.

Three Stars

Andrew Lienhard

Check out track samples and other info for Benny Green's Kaleidoscope on Music Boulevard.