Benjamin Waters (January 23, 1902, Brighton,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

– August 11, 1998,

Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States, consisting of 10 self-contained villages. With a population of 104,681 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most-populous community in Maryland ...

) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. known in part for the longevity of his career. He began on organ, then switched to clarinet and later added saxophone. The first band he joined in 1918 was Charly Miller's band. In 1922 he attended the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

where he gave lessons to

Harry Carney Harry Howell Carney (April 1, 1910 – October 8, 1974) was a jazz saxophonist and clarinettist who spent over four decades as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played a variety of instruments, but primarily used the baritone saxophon ...

. From 1926 until 1931, he was a member of Charlie Johnson's band. Later he worked with

King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wro ...

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

Claude Hopkins Claude Driskett Hopkins (August 24, 1903 – February 19, 1984) was an American jazz stride pianist and bandleader. Biography Claude Hopkins was born in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Historians differ in respect of the actual date of his ...

, and others. During these years he made several recordings with King Oliver and Clarence Williams. During 1941–1942 he played with the

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

Orchestra, and later in the 1940s with

Roy Milton Roy Bunny Milton (July 31, 1907 – September 18, 1983) was an American R&B and jump blues singer, drummer and bandleader. Career Milton's grandmother was Chickasaw. He was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and grew up on an Indian reservation bef ...

. After that he started his own band and played at the Red Mill in New York. After New York he lived for four years in California. From 1952 to 1992, he lived in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France. In 1996, he received the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

from the French Ministry of Culture. He continued to perform regularly up to his 95th birthday. Waters became blind in 1992 due to cataracts.

Discography

As leader

* ''Blue Waters'' (

Supraphon Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers. History The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. Th ...

, 1976) * ''Benny Waters & the Traditional Jazz Studio'' (I Giganti Del Jazz, 1976) * ''When You're Smiling'' ( Hep, 1980) * ''On the Sunny Side of the Street'' ( JSP, 1981) * ''Hurry on Down'' ( Storyville, 1981) * ''Mature Black Beauty'' (w/Christiania Jazzband) ( Hot Club/

Jon Larsen Jon Larsen (born 7 January 1959) is a gypsy jazz guitarist, record producer, painter, and amateur scientific researcher. He is the founder of the group Hot Club de Norvège. In 2007 he received the Buddy Award for his lifelong contribution to ...

, 1983) * ''From Paradise (Small's) to Shangri La'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, 1987) also released as ''Hearing is Convincing'' * ''Memories of the Twenties'' (

Stomp Off Stomp Off is an American jazz record company and label founded in 1980 by Bob Erdos in York, Pennsylvania. The label's first release was ''Feelin' Devilish'' by Waldo's Gutbucket Serenaders. It was described in 1986 as concentrating on "jazz in t ...

, 1988) * ''Benny Waters Freddy Randall Jazz Band'' ( Jazzology, 1989) * ''Swinging Again'' (Jazz Point, 1993) * ''Plays Songs of Love'' (Jazz Point, 1993) * ''Jazz Live'' (Laserlight, 1997) * ''Birdland Birthday Live at 95'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Jap ...

, 1997) * ''Great Traditionalists and Quartier Latin Jazz Band'' (Jazz Point, 1998) * ''Live at the Pawnshop'' (Opus 3, 1999)

As sideman

* 1978 ''Roy Milton & His Solid Senders'',

* 1980 ''Harlem Shout'',

* 1991 ''1926–1928'',

* 1991 ''1928–1930'', King Oliver * 1991 ''1938–1940'',

Hot Lips Page Oran Thaddeus "Hot Lips" Page (January 27, 1908 – November 5, 1954) was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He was known as a scorching soloist and powerful vocalist. Page was a member of Walter Page's Blue Devils, Artie Sh ...

* 1992 ''Groovy Blues, Vol. 2'', Roy Milton * 1993 ''1937–1940'',

* 1993 ''The Collection, Vol. 1: 1927–1928'', Clarence Williams * 1994 ''Blowin' with Roy'', Roy Milton * 1995 ''Live at the Riverside'',

Adelaide Hall Adelaide Louise Hall (20 October 1901 – 7 November 1993) was an American-born UK-based jazz singer and entertainer. Her career spanned more than 70 years from 1921 until her death. Early in her career, she was a major figure in the Harlem Ren ...

* 1996 ''Story 1928–1944'', Sidney De Paris * 1996 ''The Complete Sessions'', Charlie Johnson

References

External links

NPR Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waters, Benny 1902 births 1998 deaths Swing saxophonists Swing clarinetists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz clarinetists Muse Records artists Enja Records artists Blind musicians 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Statesmen of Jazz members American blind people American musicians with disabilities