American jazz pianist (born 1953)
David Benoit
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David Benoit performing at Jazz Alley on March 16, 2007
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Birth name
| David Bryan Benoit
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Born
| (
1953-08-18
)
August 18, 1953
(age 70)
Bakersfield
, California, U.S.
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Genres
| Jazz
,
smooth jazz
,
easy listening
|
---|
Occupation(s)
| Musician, composer, producer
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Instrument(s)
| Piano
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Years active
| 1976?present
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Labels
| AVI
,
GRP
,
Peak
|
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|
Website
| www
.davidbenoitmusic
.com
|
---|
Musical artist
David Bryan Benoit
(born August 18, 1953) is an American jazz pianist, composer and producer, based in
Los Angeles
, California, United States. Benoit has charted over 25 albums since 1980, and has been nominated for three
Grammy 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, crediting
Vince Guaraldi
as an inspiration, Benoit has participated both as performer and music director for the later animated adaptations of the
Peanuts
comic strip, such as the feature film,
The Peanuts Movie
, restoring Guaraldi's musical signature to the franchise.
Early life
[
edit
]
David Bryan Benoit was born in
Bakersfield
, 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 for
Arturo Toscanini
. He attended
Mira Costa High School
.
[4]
He focused on theory and composition at
El Camino College
, studying orchestration with Donald Nelligan, and later took
film scoring
classes taught by Donald Ray at
UCLA
. His education in music conducting began with
Heiichiro Ohyama
, assistant conductor of the
L.A. Philharmonic
, and continued with Jan Robertson, head of the conducting department at UCLA. He worked with Jeffrey Schindler, Music Director for the
UC Santa Barbara
symphony orchestra.
Career
[
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]
He began his career as a musical director and conductor for
Lainie Kazan
in 1976, before moving on to similar roles with singer/actresses
Ann-Margret
and
Connie Stevens
.
His
GRP Records
debut album,
Freedom at Midnight
(1987), made it to number 5 on
Billboard
'
s Top Contemporary Jazz Albums
chart
.
[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 on
Billboard'
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 album
Letter to Evan
to him.
[6]
Many of his songs employ a string section, most notably on his
American Landscape
(1997) and
Orchestral Stories
(2005) albums.
In 2000, after the death of
Peanuts
creator
Charles M. Schulz
, he released a memorial album titled
Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!
. Collaborators included the chorus group
Take 6
, guitarist
Marc Antoine
and trumpeter
Chris Botti
. He also scored several "Peanuts" animated television specials, emulating the style of
Vince 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 album
This Side Up
, enjoyed notable radio airplay and helped to launch the
smooth jazz
genre.
Benoit has
arranged
, conducted, and performed music for many popular pop and jazz artists, including
Russ Freeman
and the
Rippingtons
(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 Company
and
Brian McKnight
. He paid homage to one of his chief influences,
Leonard Bernstein
, by playing, arranging, and performing on
The Songs of West Side Story
, an all-star project produced by David Pack which achieved gold sales status. Benoit contributed to the
Rippingtons
's debut album,
Moonlighting
, which was named the most influential contemporary jazz album of all time by
Jazziz
magazine.
[7]
The Benoit/Freeman Project
album was given 4
1
⁄
2
stars by
AllMusic
, the highest rating Benoit has received from the service, and the album made it to number 2 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart from
Billboard
.
[5]
[8]
Benoit's music can be heard during
The Weather Channel
's "Local on the 8s" segments. His version of "
Cast Your Fate to the Wind
" by
Vince Guaraldi
is included on the album
The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II
(2008). In May 2011, Benoit began hosting a morning program at jazz radio station
KKJZ
in
Long Beach
, California.
[9]
Benoit has performed at the White House for three U.S. Presidents:
Bill Clinton
,
Ronald Reagan
, and
George Bush Sr.
Other dignitaries he performed for include
Colin Powell
,
Hillary Clinton
,
Al Gore
, former Los Angeles mayors
Tom Bradley
and
James Hahn
, as well as Senator
Dick Durbin
.
Awards and honors
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
As leader
[
edit
]
As sideman
[
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]
- 1975
The Man Incognito
,
Alphonse Mouzon
- 1986
Moonlighting
,
The Rippingtons
- 1988
The Real Me
,
Patti Austin
- 1988
Lay It on the Line
, Sam Riney
- 1988
In Full Swing
, Full Swing
- 1990
This Is Me
,
Emily Remler
- 1992
Carry On
, Patti Austin
- 1992
Tropical Pleasures
, Kilauea
- 1992
Live in L.A.
,
The Rippingtons
- 1997
The Body Remembers
,
Lorraine Feather
- 1999
The Dance
,
Dave Koz
- 2004
Choices
,
Brian Bromberg
- 2014
David Pack's Napa Crossroads
,
David Pack
- 2015
The Peanuts Movie
,
Christophe Beck
References
[
edit
]
- ^
[1]
Archived
January 17, 2011, at the
Wayback 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.
ISBN
1-56159-284-6
.
- ^
Yanow, Scott.
"David Benoit"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
26 April
2017
.
- ^
"Hall Of Fame | Mira Costa High School Alumni"
.
miracostaalumni.com
. 11 October 2019
. Retrieved
2020-01-22
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
David 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
. Retrieved
2008-08-11
.
- ^
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.
External links
[
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]
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Studio albums
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Compilation albums
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Collaboration albums
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International
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National
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Academics
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Artists
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