Ben Riley

Ben Riley

Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. (July 17, 1933 – November 18, 2017) was an American jazz drummer known for his work with Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group Sphere. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet. Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. was born in Savannah, Georgia, on July 17, 1933, and at the age of four moved with his family to New York City. Riley performed with Randy Weston, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Junior Mance, Kenny Burrell, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis–Johnny Griffin (1960–1962), Ahmad Jamal, Billy Taylor, and Ray Bryant. He then spent 1964 to 1967 in Thelonious Monk's quartet. After Monk, he played with Alice Coltrane (intermittently between 1968 and 1975), Ron Carter (1975–1977), Jim Hall (1981), and the bands the New York Jazz Quartet (1970s and 1980s) and Sphere. He also played frequently with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Riley died of lung disease and complications of diabetes in West Islip, New York on November 18, 2017, aged 84

  • Title: Ben Riley
  • Popularity: 0.0143
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1933-07-16
  • Place of Birth: Savannah, Georgia, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
img

Ben Riley Movies

  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Monk
    Monk

    5 1968 HD

    Part one of a two-part portrait of the great Jazz composer and pianist. In 1968, we had the opportunity to spend time with Thelonious Monk and his musicians, following him in New York and Atlanta. In New York his quartet plays at the Village Vanguard and at recording sessions for Columbia Records; in Atlanta they appear at a Jazz Festival organized by George Wein. The members of the quartet were Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley.

    img
  • 1991
    imgMovies

    Thelonious Monk: American Composer
    Thelonious Monk: American Composer

    8 1991 HD

    Through a more personal and conversational style of documentary, Thelonious Monk – American Composer was the first fully rounded portrait of this terribly misunderstood man and musician. He was the pianistic ringleader of the bebop revolution and, after Duke Ellington, jazz' first major composer. Thelonious Sphere Monk – a most original talent – remained a highly productive musician after more than thirty years of musical activity and continued to be a growing artist, exploring his art and extending his range.

    img
  • 2006
    imgMovies

    Jazz Icons: Thelonious Monk Live in '66
    Jazz Icons: Thelonious Monk Live in '66

    1 2006 HD

    Thelonious Monk features two intimate concerts filmed three days apart in Scandanavia in the Spring of 1966 with a legendary quartet that includes drummer Ben Riley, bassist Larry Gales and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse. Thelonious Monk revolutionized jazz with his innovative musical approach and these remarkable performances allow viewers the rare opportunity to experience Monk’s genius up close on his classic compositions “Blue Monk,” “Epistrophy” and “’Round Midnight.”

    img