David Benoit, one of the most celebrated piano magicians in contemporary jazz, has enjoyed four decades of success. In 2019, presenting his album Benoit & Friends, in addition to giving Madrid a masterful performance with his piano during the #HotJazzConcerts, by the hand of Smooth Hot Jazz, he gave us a brief interview to get to know him better.
David Bryan Benoit is an American pianist, composer, and producer from Los Angeles, California, who has created 35 albums since 1980 and has been nominated for 5 Grammy Awards. He is also the music director of the Asia America Symphony Orchestra.
At the age of 13 he began his piano studies with the best teachers. His debut album as a pianist on the GRP record label, entitled “Freedom At Midnight” (1987), quickly became the most popular and best-selling musical album of the year. In the words of David Benoit himself, his favorite. Later, Waiting for Spring (1998) reached number 1 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart. And Shadows, since 1991, reached number 2 on the list of Top Contemporary Jazz Albums.
As a consequence of his classical music studies, David Benoit has used, in many of his musical works, a wide array of musical arrangements. Proof of this are albums such as “American Landscape” – dedicated to the memory of his mother, who died while proceeding to record and edit the album -, or the album “Orchestral Stories”, from 2005, which he defines as a basically orchestral album. . Although he maintains that one of his dreams yet to be fulfilled is to compose a symphonic album.
There is a year in his career that marks a before and after, 2000, after the death of Charles M. Schulz. He fully delved into the Smooth Jazz genre by releasing a great commemorative album entitled “Here for You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years.” With collaborations such as guitarist Marc Antoine and trumpeter Chris Botti. The album peaked at number 2 on the Best Jazz Albums chart, enjoying notable radio broadcasting and helping launch the Smooth Jazz genre.
David Benoit was a member of the super band “The Rippingtons” around the time the group released their acclaimed first album “Moonlighting”, which was named the most influential contemporary jazz album of all time by Jazziz magazine. From the point of view of musical collaborations, Benoit has worked with artists such as Kenny Loggins, Patti Austin, Dave Koz, Faith Hill, David Pack, David Sanborn, Cece Winans, David Lanz, Brian Mcknight or the collaboration with Russ Freeman that he gave as The fruit of two magnificent musical works: “The Benoit / Freeman Project” and “The Benoit / Freeman Project II”.
As a curiosity, Benoit’s music can also be heard on the Weather Channel of American television, as a fixed tune since 2008. He has also performed for 3 different presidents of the White House: Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush Sr. He has also acted for leaders such as Secretary of State for Defense Colin Powell, candidate Hillary Clinton, Vice President of the United States Al Gore, Senator Dick Durbin or the Mayor of the city of Los Angeles Tom Bradley.
Do you want to discover what the prestigious Smooth Jazz pianist told us during his visit to Madrid to participate in the #HotJazzConcerts of #SmoothHotJazz? Don’t miss his interview:
1. – You have published more than 30 albums since 1977. Do you consider yourself one of the fathers of what we understand today as Smooth Jazz?
DB- Actually it’s closer to 35 albums. And yes I am one of the founding fathers of ( for lack of a better word, )”smooth jazz.”
2. – How and why do you start to choose this style? How is your music shaping what we hear today?
DB- I have always liked very melodic music with a good groove.
3. – How do you see the Smooth Jazz panorama in Europe? And in general? What route do you think this genre has?
DB- It’s evolving that’s for sure. But I’ve always maintained my roots in traditional jazz playing the music of Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck.
4. – Let’s talk about your last album, together with the guitarist Marc Antoine, which we enjoyed a few days ago (last 3rd February) in our previous Hot Concert. Could we talk about a tribute to Brazilian music? What led you to focus it in this way?
DB- I grew up listening to Brazil 66 and Tony Jobim. I love the rhythms and melodic beauty of brazilian music and the bossa nova!
5. – What does David Benoit have left to do in music?
DB- Oh there are lots of things! I want to continue to write serious, concert music and to conduct orchestras worldwide and also have enough time for my cat Oreo.
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