Acclaimed pianist Benny Green talks upcoming Atlanta show

ATLANTA - The early days of the pandemic were quiet for acclaimed jazz pianist Benny Green: alone at the piano, no fellow musicians, and no live audiences.

"I adjusted to being home a lot, and not being on the road, of course," says Green. "And, consequently, to playing solo; playing solo piano. Which has been and continues to be quite a kick for me."

But Green says it’s good to be back on the road these days, especially for a show like the one he’s got planned for Atlanta this Thursday evening. Green will join friends and fellow musicians John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton at the Richard H. Rich Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center for a celebration of multi-hyphenate jazz icon Norman Granz.

"Artist manager and concert producer, record producer, entrepreneur," says Green of Granz. "Although perhaps some people don’t know the name Norman Granz as well as they know the great artists whose recordings he produced and therefore left us for all time, Norman Granz conceived of how to make their great music accessible to a wider audience."

Thursday evening’s show is part of the Neranenah Concert and Culture Series, formerly known as the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are available for purchase by clicking here.

For more information on the Neranenah Concert and Culture Series, click here. And click the video player in this article to check out our conversation with Benny Green ahead of the big show.