Ben Riley


Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. was an American jazz drummer known for his work with 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.

Biography

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, 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, Ron Carter, Jim Hall, and the bands the New York Jazz Quartet and Sphere. He also played frequently with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim.
Riley died in West Islip, New York on November 18, 2017, aged 84.

Discography

As leader

With Noah Baerman
With Chet Baker
With Bill Barron
With Kenny Barron
With Gary Bartz
With Ted Brown
With Ray Bryant
With Kenny Burrell
  • Listen to the Dawn
  • Groovin' High
With Ron Carter
  • Yellow & Green
  • Piccolo
  • Peg Leg
  • Pick 'Em
With Alice Coltrane
  • A Monastic Trio
  • Ptah, the El Daoud
  • World Galaxy
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • Afro-Jaws
With Ricky Ford
  • Manhattan Blues
  • Ebony Rhapsody
  • American-African Blues
With Red Garland
  • Stepping Out
  • So Long Blues
  • Strike Up the Band
With Benny Golson
With Bennie Green
  • Glidin' Along
With Johnny Griffin
  • Battle Stations – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • Johnny Griffin’s Studio Jazz Party
  • Tough Tenors – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • Griff & Lock – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • The First Set – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • The Tenor Scene – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • The Late Show – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • The Midnight Show – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • Lookin' at Monk! – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • Change of Pace
  • Blues Up & Down – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
  • White Gardenia
  • The Kerry Dancers
  • Tough Tenor Favorites – with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
With Michael Franks
  • Tiger in the Rain
With Andrew Hill
With Hank Jones
  • Bop Redux
With Sam Jones
  • Down Home
With Junior Mance
With Ken McIntyre
  • Year of the Iron Sheep
With Jay McShann
  • Some Blues
With Thelonious Monk
  • It's Monk's Time
  • Monk
  • Live at the It Club
  • Straight, No Chaser
  • Underground
With Freddie Redd
  • Lonely City
With Sonny Rollins
  • The Bridge
  • What's New?
With Jack Sheldon
  • Playing for Change
With Sphere
  • Four in One
  • Flight Path
  • Sphere On Tour
  • Pumpkin's Delight
  • Four for All
  • Bird Songs
With Jeremy Steig
  • Flute Fever
With Horace Tapscott
  • Dissent or Descent
With Roseanna Vitro
  • Listen Here
With Larry Willis'