Many famous musicians played at the AQ, including Roy Haynes, Mose Allison, Joey DeFrancesco, Sweets Edison, Lew Tabackin, Eric Alexander, Jack McDuff, Dewey Redman, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Wallace Roney, and others.
Benny Goodman | Jack Benny | Benny Hill | Benny Andersson | Benny Carter | The Benny Hill Show | Benny Morris | Benny Golson | The Benny Goodman Story | Benny Urquidez | Benny Benassi | Buck Benny Rides Again | The Jack Benny Program | Frankie & Benny's | El Benny | Benny "The Jet" Urquidez | Benny Neyman | Benny Moré | Benny Lévy | Benny Leonard | Benny Hinn | Benny Boynton | Benny Borg | Benny Andersen | Frankie & Benny's American Italian restaurant | Benny Sings | Benny Phillips | Benny Mathews | Benny Lynch | Benny Boom |
He spent two years playing in New York while pursuing his graduate degree, performing and recording with Brian Lynch, Vincent Herring, Peter Washington, Benny Golson, Jacky Terrasson, Mike Moreno, Sean Jones, Ernie Watts, Stefano di Battista, Bertha Hope, Jim Rotondi, Alan Broadbent, Alex Sipiagin, and David Berkman.
She has performed and collaborated with jazz luminaries Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Benny Golson, Rufus Reid, Marian McPartland, Roy Hargrove, Eddie Henderson, Buster Williams and Al Foster.
Ridley is a recipient of the MidAtlantic Arts Foundation’s “Living Legacy Jazz Award”, an 1998 inductee the International Association for Jazz Education Hall of Fame (IAJE), an inductee of the Downbeat Magazine Jazz Education Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Benny Golson Jazz Award from Howard University, and was honored by a Juneteenth 2006 Proclamation Award from the New York City Council.
Scott Yanow of Allmusic says, "Tenor-saxophonist Benny Golson's third recording as a leader was significant in two ways. It was his first opportunity to work with trombonist Curtis Fuller (the two would be members of The Jazztet by 1960) and it was one of his first chances to really stretch out on record as a soloist; up to this point Golson was possibly better known as a composer".