Chicago Calling(CCD 79713)Candid Recording(s):
Biography:
An underground legend in Chicago, its fair to say that Don Bennett has never received the recognition he deserves as a pianist. His piano lessons started at age four, learning ‘Down In The Coal Mine’ on his grandmother’s upright, and by the late fifties he was part of the Chicago jazz scene. Having spent many nights playing with Ahmad Jamal, “He [Jamal] really opened up my ears to many possibilities and showed me the importance of an individual approach” Bennett moved to Los Angeles in the early 60’s, studied with Phineas Newborn and played with Harald Land, Carmell Jones and Curtis Amy, cutting an album with the latter that was never released. “Phineas threw so much stuff at me, in terms of ideas and pointers, that it took me years to absorb it all. I’m still exploring some of his theories today. He was so original and had an amazing knowledge of the keyboard. Phineas was a great man”. A period in the US army followed, fighting the Korean War for God and country. On returning home, his own personal battle started as fate dealt him increasingly tough cards and Bennett ended up leading life on the edge. This time later made Bennett the player he is today. There is no polished resume or phoney hype. There are no degrees from the Berkeley School of Music or pretentious illusions. Don Bennett is an extension of the piano. The fire in his solos possess the intense realism of living within and on the edge of surviving. The dangerous beauty of his music is a mirror to the many roads, pool halls, bars and nightclubs that have reflected his moods, his music and his life. Thanks to the support of a close friend, Bennett slowly came through and eventually re-found his musical talents. The grind of jazz gigs and late nights saw him play with with Betty Carter, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, James Spalding and Leroy Vinnegar as well as leading his own trio and write his first original tunes, including ‘Ode To Mari-Jo’.
Then Don Bennett gave up the piano, and didn’t touch a set of keys for ten years. The music business simply wasn’t working for him, and when it came to raising enough money to raise a family, a handful of day jobs, including as stint as a private detective had, were inevitable.
In 1988 Bennett returned to music with a vengence, his talents unimpared, himself almost reincarnated, his large fists never sounding so poetic on his huge, muscular sound. He moved to New York in 1990, where Candid Records supremo Alan Bates caught him at the Blue Note. For Candid he cut the magnificent ‘Chigaco Calling’ with trumpeter Arthur Hoyle and tenor player Ed Peterson, in addition to an unknown Art Porter. In 1993 Bennett uprooted to Europe and settled in Amsterdam. Another set for Candid followed, the excellent Solar featuring Bennett at his bluesy best.
Pianist, composer, poet and comedian Don Bennett is not your typical musician of the nineties. You will see no direct links to other pianist, for like a massive blender, all forms of musical expression have been mixed into the smooth consistently of originality, though some critics have likened him to Wynton Kelly or Keith Jarrett. His epic style, lingers just behind the beat, and his use of the entire keyboard summons an orchestral range of colour and texture.
A third outing for Candid, Simplexity, has the critics in acclaim mode and asking why they hadn’t heard of this stunning pianist before.
