Benito Gonzalez
Benito Gonzalez
Benito Gonzalez (piano)
Benito Gonzalez is one of those pianists who is transforming the legacy of Jazz, a force behind the powerful thrust that is driving the music towards new horizons. His creativity and devotion to the instrument have made him an unmistakable voice on the current scene, where, as a tireless explorer of contemporary piano, he is now a consolidated figure.
Winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 2005 and honoured in 2020 as a Steinway & Sons artist for the rhythmic force and the Afro-Latin patterns that permeate his music, the Venezuelan-born, New York-based pianist began heavily steeped in the sounds of his country's folklore, before allowing himself to be guided by figures such as Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett.
His career in the USA began in Washington D.C., where he played with Ghanaian maestro, Okyerema Asante. He decided to stay there to live. In the course of his career, he has shared the stage with Jackie McLean. That was in 2003, and shortly after that he joined Kenny Garrett's quartet and was with them for seven years, during which he was twice nominated for a Grammy. He later collaborated with Azar Lawrence and in 2019 joined the legendary Pharoah Sanders as pianist and musical director.
Gonzalez has been an essential sideman alongside musicians such as Bobby Hutcherson, Dave Liebman, Gary Bartz, Curtis Fuller, Al Foster, Lenny White, Billy Hart, Ignacio Berroa, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Buster Williams, Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Delfeayo Marsalis, Hamiet Bluiett, Ron Blake, Antonio Sanchez and Mark Gros. He has also developed a solid solo career with works such as Starting Point (2004), Circles (2010), Dream Rhapsody (2015), tribute to McCoy Tyner Passion Reverence Transcendence (2018) and Sing to the World (2021), where he chose to place rhythm at the centre, driven by an energetic pulse and informed by very strong Afro-Latin influences.
At a time when many pianists are seeking their own voice by drawing inspiration from previous generations, Gonzalez stands out because he goes further, constructing a personal discourse that is bold, creative and intuitive.
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