Classical time for smooth jazz artist
sum1
play real music.
------------------
Classical time for Benoit
Star Bulletin
Friday, April 9, 2004
By Tim Ryan
David Benoit finally admits to a long-suspected "issue" that's plagued
him throughout his three-decade music career.
"Well, I, uh, I have severely tough issues with time management,"
Benoit, 51, confesses in a telephone interview from his Palos Verdes
Estate, Ca., home. "I don't know why I do this, why I get myself in
these situations, take on so much. I'm always perpetually behind. I
don't know what to do!"
The musical maverick, who performs tonight and tomorrow with the
Honolulu Symphony Pops Orchestra, laughs at his momentary self-pity.
"OK, doctor, I'll take responsibility for my actions," he says. "I'm
the kind of person who gets restless easily. I just like doing new
things."
With a multifaceted discography stretching back to the late '70s,
Benoit has become a sort of worldwide jazz ambassador whose recordings
encompass a wide range of jazz-inflected styles, from smooth jazz to
straight-ahead bebop, contemporary pop, orchestral and hip-hop.
"I do get tired of playing some of my more popular numbers, so what I
do is shelve a song for a few concerts, then come back to it, feeling
fresh about it," Benoit says. "It's good for me and that means good
for the audience."
It looks like his smooth jazz repertoire will be shelved for a time as
Benoit turns more toward to classical composition and conducting. He
is currently in his third season as musical director of the Asia
America Symphony of Palos Verdes and has conducted eminent orchestras
such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the symphonies of London,
Nuremberg, San Francisco, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Jose.
"It's pretty much where I see my future -- longform and concert
pieces," he says. "I just love it, love being in front of an
orchestra, love that challenge."
Still, playing jazz piano has served Benoit well, with three Grammy
awards and international popularity.
"I'll never give it up totally, but I see that as not being in the
forefront," he says. "Jazz piano was where my destiny and career took
me."
Conducting and composing for a symphony, however, is "extremely more
difficult" than playing piano, he says. Every season, he composes a
new work for his Asian American Orchestra.
One of the keys to conducting is really understanding the score, both
in a musical and historical sense, he says.
"If you know the score inside and out, and what the composer intended,
there is nothing you can't do," he says.
And that's categorically different from jazz.
"Jazz is not about the composer -- who cares? It's about the player,"
Benoit says. "Listen to ... Miles Davis to see if he plays the
original melody correctly. It's about how the player interprets the
score.
"Classical is about the composer. It's sacred to maintain the
tradition of the piece and not deviate."
BENOIT'S HONOLULU concerts will be more pops-oriented. The concert
will feature new Matt Catingub arrangements of hits like "Swingin'
Waikiki" and "Watermelon Man," as well as Benoit favorites such as
"Kei's Song," "Linus and Lucy" and "Dad's Room."
Benoit is currently working on his first Broadway musical in
collaboration with lyricist Mark Winkler about the life and times of
Marilyn Monroe. This winter, he joined the Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour
with saxophonist Dave Koz.
After the release of his previous CD, "Here's to You, Charlie Brown:
50 Great Years!" in 2000, Benoit developed a live musical tribute to
Charles Schulz's comic strip. The show featured a full orchestra,
arranged and conducted by Benoit, performing a variety of music,
including the memorable melodies composed by the late pianist Vince
Guaraldi for the classic "Peanuts" TV specials.
Benoit also composed and performed a classical piece for piano and
orchestra, "The Peanuts Gallery," commissioned by Carnegie Hall.
Benoit has also completed the symphony "Kobe," with conductor Kent
Nagano, which the pair eventually will record.
"I'd been working on it off and on for 10 years," Benoit says,
laughing again. "It was like, 'OK, I'll write a symphony in my spare
time.'"
"Kobe" was first performed with the original orchestration by the Kobe
Philharmonic Orchestra on the second anniversary of the Kobe
earthquake of Jan. 17, 1997. The U.S. premiere with Nagano happened
last year.
Part of Benoit's time-management issues is he wants to do so much.
"I also like architecture, so we built a house I designed, ... but I
also wanted a family, and I have a great wife and a
3-and-a-half-year-old daughter," he says. "It all happens for you and
you ask yourself, 'How will I manage it all?'"
Nick
> Here's one for those whining that smooth jazz artists are too lazy to
> play real music.
>
There shouldn't be much complaining about Benoit. He is one the few
commercial artists who occasionally records mainstream jazz -- and
does it well.
ric
> There shouldn't be much complaining about Benoit. He is one the few
> commercial artists who occasionally records mainstream jazz -- and
> does it well.
Like "Waiting for Spring" with Emily Remler, or to a lesser extent
"Letter to Evan", which shows his admiration of Evans and Brubeck.
--
Better than hearing "Lady Day", or checking in at Monterey...
A.J. Robb
> Nick wrote:
>
> > There shouldn't be much complaining about Benoit. He is one the few
> > commercial artists who occasionally records mainstream jazz -- and
> > does it well.
>
> Like "Waiting for Spring" with Emily Remler, or to a lesser extent
> "Letter to Evan", which shows his admiration of Evans and Brubeck.
Indeed... I just wish he'd do it more often. Sounds like he wants to
keep doing this, and I'm glad. I hope he does well.
Nick
>
> > There shouldn't be much complaining about Benoit. He is one the few
> > commercial artists who occasionally records mainstream jazz -- and
> > does it well.
>
> Like "Waiting for Spring" with Emily Remler, or to a lesser extent
> "Letter to Evan", which shows his admiration of Evans and Brubeck.
That's exactly what I had in mind. ;-)
sum1
Kind of puts a wrinkle in your argument that smooth jazz is not played
by "real" musicians, doesn't it, though?
A.J. Robb
There are plenty of talented musicians who play smooth (I'd put Benoit
among the most able of such players), yet that does not legitimize
smooth as a Jazz family member. At best it's pop, related by marriage.
Your Chris Botti demonstrates his talent with Sting (e.g. "Moon Over
Bourbon Street" on Sting's 9/11 recording "...All This Time") yet he
still plays that pansy bs on his solo releases. Why? Because it's
easier to make a smooth record. It's easier to make money doing a
smooth record. That is why so many people are successful doing it, and
why so many people buy it.
But I'll agree with you insofar as simply playing smooth does not
automatically qualify you as a substandard musician. There are lots of
things talented musicians can play which require no talent.
Zoot
one could say 96 tears was done by real musicians.i wanna hear you cry now.
sum1
Of course it was.
> i wanna hear you cry now.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
(Ok?)
sum1
> su...@lycos.jp (sum1) wrote in message news:<544b2430.04041...@posting.google.com>...
> > ar...@iwu.edu (A.J. Robb) wrote in message news:<1e8bcf2d.0404...@posting.google.com>...
> > > ric <nos...@home.com> wrote in message news:<407D9E3D...@home.com>...
> > > > Nick wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > There shouldn't be much complaining about Benoit. He is one the few
> > > > > commercial artists who occasionally records mainstream jazz -- and
> > > > > does it well.
> > > >
> > > > Like "Waiting for Spring" with Emily Remler, or to a lesser extent
> > > > "Letter to Evan", which shows his admiration of Evans and Brubeck.
> > >
> > > Indeed... I just wish he'd do it more often. Sounds like he wants to
> > > keep doing this, and I'm glad. I hope he does well.
> >
> >
> > Kind of puts a wrinkle in your argument that smooth jazz is not played
> > by "real" musicians, doesn't it, though?
>
> There are plenty of talented musicians who play smooth (I'd put Benoit
> among the most able of such players),
Of course there are.
> yet that does not legitimize
> smooth as a Jazz family member.
Of course it doesn't. The two are in no way connected. Even if
nothing but shitty musicians played smooth jazz, it would still be
jazz.
> Your Chris Botti demonstrates his talent with Sting (e.g. "Moon Over
> Bourbon Street" on Sting's 9/11 recording "...All This Time") yet he
> still plays that pansy bs on his solo releases. Why?
Probably becasue that's what he enjoys.
> Because it's
> easier to make a smooth record.
Did Chris tell you that personally? Was he quoted thus in an
interview?
> It's easier to make money doing a
> smooth record.
Did Chris tell you that personally? Was he quoted thus in an
interview?
> That is why so many people are successful doing it
People are successful because they make music for which people are
willing to pay money.
Face it - the music you want to make will never be popular, you'll
never be rich, and you'll never have a bus-load of groupies. But
that's your choice. Don't be sore about it and don't begrudge others
their choices.
charlie at the sea
He's not talking music. He's talking hairs dammit!
manitou910
>
> Your Chris Botti demonstrates his talent with Sting (e.g. "Moon Over
> Bourbon Street" on Sting's 9/11 recording "...All This Time") yet he
> still plays that pansy bs on his solo releases. Why? Because it's
> easier to make a smooth record. It's easier to make money doing a
> smooth record. That is why so many people are successful doing it, and
> why so many people buy it.
GASP!
R U saying 'sum1' is Botti's lover?
The ladies at Botti's net forum will be crushed!!!
> But I'll agree with you insofar as simply playing smooth does not
> automatically qualify you as a substandard musician. There are lots of
> things talented musicians can play which require no talent.
I'm pretty sure the reality here is that the management and record
companies make these decisions.
Botti's 35-minute opening set for Sting's recent tour (I heard the final
performance in Ottawa, Canada) was mainly very loud, aggressive stuff.
V interesting, but I suspect people who hadn't heard his records but had
read about him being one of the new "smooth jazz" icons (there was an
article in the local paper that morning about CB) may have been perplexed.
Obviously there are many jazz die-hards who will never accept smooth,
even when it's done fabulously. And no one IMO does it more fabulously
than Chris Botti.
Botti's "Night Sessions" CD (using BTW several of the Sting crowd,
including producer Kipper, and including one of Sting's most beautiful
recent songs, "All Would Envy", sung by Shawn Colvin [Sting still hasn't
recorded it, except for an in-progress take on the "Sacred Love" DVD,
including Botti's trumpet] and with an exquisite interlude/intro played
by Billy Childs) is an extraordinary recording by any standards.
Some people may not like the music itself, but that's another issue
(along with the topless, "tousle-haired-Adonis" photos [UK female
reviewer quote!] by Fabrizio Ferri).
C.
Zoot
> never be rich, and you'll never have a bus-load of groupies. But
> that's your choice. Don't be sore about it and don't begrudge others
> their choices.
actually when i played in rock bands the groupies were mostly collage
girls. as a jazz musician they were women.
i must say either way ...... i wouldn't know what to do with a
bus-load of either though. if you want to make money you have to play
what sells. polkas would work in this neck of the woods. if money or
tail isn't enough thank goodness there is jazz.
Zoot
> > smooth as a Jazz family member.
>
> Of course it doesn't. The two are in no way connected. Even if
> nothing but shitty musicians played smooth jazz, it would still be
> jazz.
just how does it get to be jazz?
A.J. Robb
> People are successful because they make music for which people are
> willing to pay money.
>
> Face it - the music you want to make will never be popular, you'll
> never be rich, and you'll never have a bus-load of groupies. But
> that's your choice. Don't be sore about it and don't begrudge others
> their choices.
My God you're puerile. I've done smooth, it's easy. The engineers have
the difficult job. I've made a retirement sum playing in hotels,
private parties, and studio gigs - some good, some just for the money.
I've done the rock thing, travelling the country over breaks and
during the summer, with literally a busload of groupies. You know
what? I didn't like it. Surrounded by mall culture. I've played for
groove. I've played to impress people. I've played to please people.
I've played to make money. I've played to please God. I've played to
get girls. I've played because people told me to. I've played because
I thought I should be able to. They've all left me empty afterwards.
The only music that I've played that has been meaningful to me is the
stuff by the great composers and players of the past, all of which
have served as a vessel for my own evolution as a musician, where I am
discovering new things about myself every time I play.
In the end, I am not willing to subscribe myself to a certain fate
that you seem to have in mind for me - you have very little idea of
the breadth of my musical experience and my influences, nor do you
have any idea where my career ambitions lie, what sort of music I
"want to make." Jazz, at this point, is not my chosen career path.
If busloads of groupies and bling-bling are what you want in life,
fine - but you're an adolescent and none of those things equate Jazz.
I do not begrudge others their career choices, I disagree with you
calling smooth Jazz. I've given you myriad reasons why smooth is not
Jazz and your limited palette of rebuttal comprises of ignoring them,
misconstruing them, reductio ad absurdum, quoting out-of-context, and
ad hominem. I have one word for you:
TROLL.
Your anti-intellectual, guerrilla, twisted sense of discussion leads
me to no other conclusion. I've spent hours now dissecting your
half-baked soundbytes, examining their flaws and providing more than a
few counter-examples and explanations to whatever you spew into one of
these discussions, and yet, like any product that takes no thought or
ability, the soundbytes just keep coming.
I've been engaged in discussions about smooth's place in music, and
music in general with other people on this board who look at smooth as
you do, in a much more civil, meaningful, and rewarding fashion. So it
is not your viewpoint that I loathe, it is your repetitive,
short-sighted tone and your narrow crusade in this group. You degrade
the discussion, you sidetrack the topic.
Go start a smooth group.
Zoot
to a j . i must say what a lovely bulls eye your post is. but. sum1 is
hungry for attention and this post is food for his sickness. that said
i am one of many musicians that have said pretty much the same things
to
the antagonist. he knows that when he runs his shit down people that
know what's up call him on it and he plays dumb and it keeps going and
going. point out what an obvious jerk he is and he is thinking
'' it's all about meeeeeee" well it is. still i enjoy telling people
that musicians have invented a music process that is so engaging, so
unique and so fulfilling and anyone could learn to do it on some level
in
spite of the excuses not to. see i did it again. i guess you can find
good use for anything. even sum1s sickness. i think he knows that
musicians don't really believe that the musicly challenged or
disinterested shouldn't have some music that doesn't escape them. hell
though i grew up in a jazz enviroment i also grew up pn a pop
enviroment and sometimes i am mooved by the e z stuff and i will just
cry. cry cry cry now. 96 tears.
A.J. Robb
> to a j . i must say what a lovely bulls eye your post is. but. sum1 is
> hungry for attention and this post is food for his sickness.
[snip]
i know, i know... i'm getting to realize how much time i've wasted entertaining him.
J Bongo Zed
> > private parties, and studio gigs - some good, some just for the
> > The only music that I've played that has been meaningful to me is the
> > stuff by the great composers and players of the past
Mr. Robb, you appear to have learned something that has yet to be
appreciated by many jazz "artists", especially the avant-con ones who
are always whining here about how they can't make a living because the
public doesn't appreciate their art etc etc etc. That something is
this: If you want to make a living, and it involves getting other people
to part with their hard-earned, then you'd better bloody well play what
they want. What's meaningful to *you* is, of course, important -- but
only to *you*. Other people don't give two blanks about it; so do it in
the comfort and privacy of your own home and on your on time. The only
important lesson left for you to learn is that you'd better stop
knocking the kind of music that has made you the kind of bread you claim
you it has. That is, until you've managed to make a bundle from playing
the (should-be) forgotten music of those long-dead Europeans. OK? Any
questions?
--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Samuel Vriezen
> If you want to make a living, and it involves getting other people
> to part with their hard-earned, then you'd better bloody well play what
> they want. What's meaningful to *you* is, of course, important -- but
> only to *you*. Other people don't give two blanks about it;
Speak for yourself!
--
samuel
concerten.free.fr
http://composers21.com/compdocs/vriezens.htm
--
...nur mittelmaessige Auffuehrungen koennen mich retten! Vollstaendig
gute muessen die Leute verrueckt machen...
- R. Wagner
A.J. Robb
Everyone needs to make a living, and when I play on private
"commercial faire" gigs even though I have to play what they want, I
still play it in a way that I like (while still not bothering the
patrons!). I speak out against the lack of insight in much commercial
music so people can listen for more than just image. ....Actually, I'm
writing while watching VH1 Divas.... I hope that we can rediscover and
revalue the thought that went in to writing music, and not just its
immediate appeal. That is why I speak so openly on my thoughts of pop,
smooth, and everything else that survives on commercial appeal.
Nothing against anyone who listens to it, of course - but the more
people I can turn on to really thoughtful music, the better!
Yes, one quesion: Why should we forget about the Classical repertoire?
(I was also referring to the great Jazz that's come through the
ages...)
J Bongo Zed
news:4082850f$0$21804$e4fe...@news.xs4all.nl
> Speak for yourself!
I usually do. But in the case of blockheads, I would be failing in my
duties to society if I were to leave them to fend for themselves.