Michel Benita

Last updated

Michel Benita
Florian Weber Quartet INNtone 12.jpg
Michel Benita at INNtöne Jazzfestival in 2019
Background information
Born (1954-07-29) 29 July 1954 (age 70)
Algiers, Algeria
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, bandleader, composer
Instrument Double bass
Labels ECM Records, Label Bleu, ACT Music
Website michelbenita.com

Michel Benita (born 1954 in Algiers, Algeria) is a double bass player, prominent in jazz music since the 1980s. [1] Benita moved to Paris in the early 1980s, performing extensively in local jazz clubs and concert venues alongside visiting players, expatriates, and local musicians. [2] In 1986 he was invited to join the inaugural line-up of the Orchestre National de Jazz, under the direction of François Jeanneau. [3] During his career Benita has worked with Aldo Romano, Marc Ducret, Horace Parlan, Martial Solal, Lee Konitz, Andy Sheppard, Dino Saluzzi, Dewey Redman, Erik Truffaz and Archie Shepp, among many others. [2] He formed the ELB trio in 1999 with Vietnamese guitar player Nguyên Lê and American drummer Peter Erskine. [4]

Contents

In recent years Benita has been closely associated with ECM Records, releasing a number of albums as leader [5] [6] but also as a sideman for saxophonist, Andy Sheppard. [7] [8]

Awards

Discography

With Andy Sheppard

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Fresu</span> Italian jazz musician (born 1961)

Paolo Fresu is an Italian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, as well as a composer and arranger of music. His unique trumpet sound is recognized as one of the most distinctive in the contemporary jazz scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Taylor (jazz)</span> British jazz pianist (1942–2015)

John Taylor was a British jazz pianist, born in Manchester, England, who occasionally performed on the organ and the synthesizer. In his obituary, The Guardian described him as "one of the great jazz pianists and composers of his generation" and at a musical level comparable to Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner and Brad Meldhau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Erskine</span> American jazz drummer (born 1954)

Peter Clark Erskine is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Surman</span> English jazz musician and composer

John Douglas Surman is an English jazz saxophone, clarinet, and synthesizer player, and composer of free jazz and modal jazz, often using themes from folk music. He has composed and performed music for dance performances and film soundtracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Abercrombie (guitarist)</span> American jazz guitarist (1944–2017)

John Laird Abercrombie was an American jazz guitarist. His work explored jazz fusion, free jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Abercrombie studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He was known for his understated style and his work with organ trios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Sclavis</span> French jazz musician

Louis Sclavis is a French jazz musician. He performs on clarinet, bass clarinet, and soprano saxophone in a variety of contexts, including avant-garde jazz, free jazz, free improvisation and contemporary classical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Sheppard</span> British jazz saxophonist and composer

Andy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow. In 2019 he was presented the degree of Doctor of Music honoris causa by the University of Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nguyên Lê</span> French jazz musician and composer

Nguyên Lê is a French jazz musician and composer of Vietnamese ancestry. His main instrument is guitar, and he also plays bass guitar and guitar synthesizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominique Pifarély</span> French jazz violinist

Dominique Pifarély is a French jazz violinist. He works in avant-garde jazz, but he has also worked in post-bop and other contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christof Lauer</span> Musical artist

Christof Lauer is a German jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist, born in Melsungen, Germany, perhaps most well known in Europe where he has done projects with various musicians, such as Palle Danielsson, Carla Bley, Anthony Cox, Michel Godard and Gary Husband, Vince Mendoza's Jazzpaña, Michel Portal, Maria João, Alphonse Mouzon, and Peter Erskine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tore Brunborg</span> Norwegian jazz musician and composer

Tore Brunborg is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer who plays saxophone. He was born in Trondheim but grew up in Voss where a jazz environment was flowering. Known from numerous appearances with international greats including Bugge Wesseltoft, Håvard Wiik, Audun Kleive, Anders Jormin, Diederik Wissels, Arild Andersen, Pat Metheny, Per Jørgensen, Geir Lysne, Misha Alperin, Bjørn Alterhaug, Jan Gunnar Hoff, Jarle Vespestad, Jon Christensen, Jon Balke, Nils Petter Molvær, Vigleik Storaas, Bo Stief, and Billy Cobham.

<i>Trios</i> (Carla Bley album) 2013 studio album by Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow

Trios is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow, recorded in April 2013 and released on ECM later that year. This was the first occasion on which these longtime collaborators had worked as a trio since 1994's Songs with Legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Marcotulli</span> Italian jazz pianist and composer (born 1959)

Rita Marcotulli is an Italian jazz pianist and composer.

<i>Andando el Tiempo</i> 2016 studio album by Carla Bley / Andy Sheppard / Steve Swallow

Andando el Tiempo is an album by American composer and pianist Carla Bley with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bass guitarist Steve Swallow released on the ECM label. Though the musicians are longtime collaborators, this is their third album as a trio and second on the ECM label. It is Bley's first complete album of new compositions in eight years and is titled after a three part meditation on addiction and recovery, inspired by a friend's struggle with alcoholism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Couturier</span>

François Couturier is a French jazz pianist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Céline Bonacina</span> French saxophonist and composer

Céline Bonacina is a French saxophonist and composer. She plays soprano, alto and baritone saxophone.

<i>Romaria</i> (album) 2018 studio album by the Andy Sheppard Quartet

Romaria is an album by the Andy Sheppard Quartet recorded in Switzerland in April 2017 and released on ECM February the following year. The quartet features rhythm section Eivind Aarset, Michel Benita and Sebastian Rochford.

<i>Trio Libero</i> 2012 studio album by Andy Sheppard

Trio Libero is an album by British saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard recorded in Switzerland in July 2011 and released on ECM in January the following year.

<i>Surrounded by Sea</i> 2015 studio album by Andy Sheppard Quartet

Surrounded by Sea is an album by British saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard recorded in Switzerland in 2014 and released on the ECM label the following year.

This is a timeline documenting events of jazz in the year 2020.

References

  1. Marmande, Francis (2004) "Michel Benita, les basses doucement !", Le Monde , 16 January 2004
  2. 1 2 "Michel Benita". ECM Records. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. Benita, Michel. "Biography". Michel Benita. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. "E_L_B (Peter Erskine_Nguyen Le_Michel Benita): Dream Flight". All About Jazz. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. Fordham, John (2016). "Michel Benita and Ethics: River Silver review – world-folk that's like a warm bath". The Guardian. No. 21 January. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. Kunzmann, Friedrich (2021). "Michel Benita: Looking at Sounds". AllAboutJazz. No. 22 May. ll About Jazz & Jazz Near You. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  7. Fordham, John (2015). "Andy Sheppard Quartet: Surrounded by Sea review – an intriguing shift for lyrical saxophonist". The Guardian. No. 16 April. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  8. Layman, Will (2018). "The Andy Sheppard Quartet Creates Jazzy Beauty on 'Romaria'". PopMatters. No. 20 June. PopMatters Media, Inc. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  9. "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres juillet 2015". culturecommunication.gouv.fr (in French). 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.