David Bryan Benoit(born August 18, 1953) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer, based inLos Angeles,California, United States. Benoit has charted over 25 albums since 1980, and has been nominated for threeGrammy Awards.[1]He is also music director for the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony (previously known as the Asia America Symphony Orchestra) and the Asia America Youth Orchestra. Furthermore, creditingVince Guaraldias an inspiration, Benoit has participated both as performer and music director for the later animated adaptations of thePeanutscomic strip, such as the feature film,The Peanuts Movie,restoring Guaraldi's musical signature to the franchise.
David Benoit | |
|---|---|
 David Benoit performing at Jazz Alley on March 16, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Bryan Benoit |
| Born | August 18, 1953 Bakersfield,California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,smooth jazz,easy listening |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, producer |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | AVI,GRP,Peak |
| Website | www |
Early life
editDavid Bryan Benoit was born inBakersfield,California, on August 18, 1953.[2][3]He studied piano at age 13 with Marya Cressy Wright and continued his training with Abraham Fraser, who was the pianist forArturo Toscanini.He attendedMira Costa High School.[4]He focused on theory and composition atEl Camino College,studying orchestration with Donald Nelligan, and later tookfilm scoringclasses taught by Donald Ray atUCLA.His education in music conducting began withHeiichiro Ohyama,assistant conductor of theL.A. Philharmonic,and continued with Jan Robertson, head of the conducting department at UCLA. He worked with Jeffrey Schindler, Music Director for theUC Santa Barbarasymphony orchestra.
Career
editHe began his career as a musical director and conductor forLainie Kazanin 1976, before moving on to similar roles with singer/actressesAnn-MargretandConnie Stevens.
HisGRP Recordsdebut album,Freedom at Midnight(1987), made it to number 5 onBillboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albumschart.[5]Benoit also says that it was his favorite album to produce, because it was when "everything came together," as he stated in an interview on SmoothViews.com. An earlier "live in the studio" (direct record, no mixing or overdubs) album on Spindletop Records,This Side Up(previously 1986), was re-released on the GRP label.
Waiting for Spring(1989) made it to number 1 onBillboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.[5]Shadows,from 1991, made it to number 2 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[5]
Out of respect for one of his main influences,Bill Evans,he dedicated his 1992 albumLetter to Evanto him.[6]
Many of his songs employ a string section, most notably on hisAmerican Landscape(1997) andOrchestral Stories(2005) albums.
In 2000, after the death ofPeanutscreatorCharles M. Schulz,he released a memorial album titledHere's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!.Collaborators included the chorus groupTake 6,guitaristMarc Antoineand trumpeterChris Botti.He also scored several "Peanuts" animated television specials, emulating the style ofVince Guaraldi.The album made it to number 2 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.[5]An earlier cover of Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy",recorded in 1985 for the aforementioned albumThis Side Up,enjoyed notable radio airplay and helped to launch thesmooth jazzgenre.
Benoit hasarranged,conducted, and performed music for many popular pop and jazz artists, includingRuss Freemanand theRippingtons(he was involved with the band in its formative stages, and they often appeared on each other's albums),Kenny Loggins,Michael Franks,Patti Austin,Dave Koz,Kenny Rankin,Faith Hill,David Lanz,Cece Winans,David Pack,David Sanborn,The Walt Disney CompanyandBrian McKnight.He paid homage to one of his chief influences,Leonard Bernstein,by playing, arranging, and performing onThe Songs of West Side Story,an all-star project produced by David Pack which achieved gold sales status. Benoit contributed to theRippingtons's debut album,Moonlighting,which was named the most influential contemporary jazz album of all time byJazzizmagazine.[7]
The Benoit/Freeman Projectalbum was given 41⁄2stars byAllMusic,the highest rating Benoit has received from the service, and the album made it to number 2 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart fromBillboard.[5][8]
Benoit's music can be heard duringThe Weather Channel's "Local on the 8s" segments. His version of "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"byVince Guaraldiis included on the albumThe Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II(2008). In May 2011, Benoit began hosting a morning program at jazz radio stationKKJZinLong Beach,California.[9]
Benoit has performed at the White House for three U.S. Presidents:Bill Clinton,Ronald Reagan,andGeorge Bush Sr.Other dignitaries he performed for includeColin Powell,Hillary Clinton,Al Gore,former Los Angeles mayorsTom BradleyandJames Hahn,as well as SenatorDick Durbin.
Awards and honors
edit- 1989:Every Step of the Way,Grammy nomination forBest Contemporary Jazz Performance
- 1996:GRP All-Star Big Band,Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance
- 2000: "Dad's Room" fromProfessional Dreamer,Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition
Discography
editAs leader
edit| Year | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Heavier Than Yesterday | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1980 | Can You Imagine | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1982 | Stages | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1983 | Digits | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1983 | Christmastime | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1984 | Waves of Raves | AVI/Blue Moon | |
| 1985 | This Side Up | Spindletop/En Pointe | |
| 1986 | Summer | Electric Bird/Intersound | A Re-Recording Of Early Material |
| 1987 | Freedom at Midnight | GRP | |
| 1988 | Every Step of the Way | GRP | |
| 1989 | Urban Daydreams | GRP | |
| 1989 | Waiting for Spring | GRP | |
| 1990 | Inner Motion | GRP | |
| 1991 | Shadows | GRP | |
| 1992 | Letter to Evan | GRP | |
| 1994 | Shaken Not Stirred | GRP | |
| 1994 | The Benoit/Freeman Project | GRP | withRuss Freeman |
| 1995 | The Stars Fell on Henrietta | Varèse Sarabande | soundtrack |
| 1996 | Remembering Christmas | GRP | |
| 1997 | American Landscape | GRP | |
| 1999 | Professional Dreamer | GRP | |
| 2000 | Great Composers of Jazz | Vertical Jazz/Fine Tune | |
| 2000 | Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years! | GRP | |
| 2002 | Fuzzy Logic | GRP | |
| 2003 | Right Here, Right Now | GRP/Universal/Verve | |
| 2004 | The Benoit/Freeman Project 2 | Peak | withRuss Freeman |
| 2005 | Orchestral Stories | Peak/Universal | |
| 2005 | 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas | Concord/Peak | |
| 2006 | Full Circle | Concord/Peak | |
| 2006 | Standards | Kind of Blue | Brian BrombergandGregg Bissonette |
| 2008 | Heroes | Concord/Peak | |
| 2008 | Jazz for Peanuts | Concord/Peak | |
| 2010 | Earthglow | Concord/Heads Up/Peak | |
| 2012 | Conversation | Heads Up | |
| 2015 | 2 in Love | Concord | withJane Monheit |
| 2015 | Believe | Concord | David Benoit Trio, f. Jane Monheit & All American Boys Chorus |
| 2017 | The Steinway Sessions | Steinway | |
| 2017 | So Nice | Shanachie Records | withMarc Antoine |
| 2019 | David Benoit and Friends | Shanachie Records | |
| 2020 | It's a David Benoit Christmas! | Steinway | |
| 2022 | A Midnight Rendezvous | Shanachie Records |
As sideman
edit- 1975The Man Incognito,Alphonse Mouzon
- 1986Moonlighting,The Rippingtons
- 1988The Real Me,Patti Austin
- 1988Lay It on the Line,Sam Riney
- 1988In Full Swing,Full Swing
- 1990This Is Me,Emily Remler
- 1992Carry On,Patti Austin
- 1992Tropical Pleasures,Kilauea
- 1992Live in L.A.,The Rippingtons
- 1997The Body Remembers,Lorraine Feather
- 1999The Dance,Dave Koz
- 2004Choices,Brian Bromberg
- 2014David Pack's Napa Crossroads,David Pack
- 2015The Peanuts Movie,Christophe Beck
References
edit- Some of this article comes from theJapanese-language article(accessed on April 8, 2006).
- ^[1]ArchivedJanuary 17, 2011, at theWayback Machine
- ^Gilbert, Mark (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.).The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz.Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 191.ISBN1-56159-284-6.
- ^Yanow, Scott."David Benoit".AllMusic.Retrieved26 April2017.
- ^"Hall Of Fame | Mira Costa High School Alumni".miracostaalumni.com.11 October 2019.Retrieved2020-01-22.
- ^abcdeDavid Benoit. - Charts & Awards:Billboard Albums.-AllMusic.- Retrieved: 2008-07-20
- ^Josef Woodard (April 8, 1993)."Dont Worry, Play Happy Jazz: David Benoit is sure to draw heavily on his latest album, 'Letter to Evan,' when he performs in Ventura on Saturday".Los Angeles Times.
- ^"David Benoit Biography".Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.Retrieved2008-08-11.
- ^David Benoit. - Discography:Main Albums.-Allmusic.- Retrieved: 2008-07-20
- ^"Pianist David Benoit to host morning show at jazz station KKJZ-FM".Los Angeles Times.27 April 2011.