{"id":20469,"date":"2022-02-10T11:46:13","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T18:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20469"},"modified":"2022-02-10T12:26:41","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T19:26:41","slug":"david-benoit-a-midnight-rendezvous-web-exclusive-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2022\/02\/david-benoit-a-midnight-rendezvous-web-exclusive-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"DAVID BENOIT &#8211; A Midnight Rendezvous &#8211; Web-Exclusive Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\nMusician: <strong>DAVID BENOIT<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Video: \u201c<strong>A Midnight Rendezvous<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uLFmd0SrvK4\" width=\"660\" height=\"340\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h1><strong>DAVID BENOIT IS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>WITH RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM <em>A MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>by Rodeo Marie Hanson<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20470\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-01.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-01-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-01-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pianist, composer, and arranger are some of the hats David Benoit has donned during several decades in the music business. Benoit\u2019s unique style of smooth jazz has earned him three Grammy nominations and top jazz chart positions on <em>Billboard<\/em>.\u00a0He has also made the leap to the big screen, scoring\u00a0movies for people like Clint Eastwood and Sally Field.<\/p>\n<p>Grey hair, glasses and a soft-spoken gentlemanly manner,\u00a0Benoit embodies the image often associated with that of a maestro.\u00a0Although he is a virtuoso,\u00a0Benoit\u00a0possesses a warm, welcoming manner and youthful persona.\u00a0A grainy black and white photo on\u00a0his website shows the artist at the piano. Even though he is just a child in the candid shot,\u00a0his talent seems to radiate from the photo predicting future greatness. Another picture of the multi-Grammy nominee on the website features a grown-up Benoit sporting\u00a0a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. The line between past and present is drawn which suggests this musician still retains that inner-child and it, much like his talent, has been nurtured.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>As timeless and inevitable as starlight, David Benoit\u2019s <\/em>A Midnight Rendezvous<em> shines in all the right places of the heart. This collection is the penultimate expression of smooth jazz by the master himself.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Most musicians reference the Beatles on\u00a0<em>The Ed Sullivan Show<\/em>\u00a0back in February 1964 as a defining moment which beckoned them to pick up an instrument.\u00a0Benoit\u2019s choice to pursue music came the following year in 1965, with the help of\u00a0<em>Charlie Brown\u00a0<\/em>on<em>\u00a0<\/em>television and Vince Guaraldi, whom he cites as an influence. The animated jazz piano trio captivated\u00a0Benoit and propelled him to follow in\u00a0Guaraldi\u2019s steps. Taking piano lessons at the age of 13,\u00a0Benoit would grow up to\u00a0carve out his own trail as a composer, and participate\u00a0in the 2015 feature film\u00a0<em>The Peanuts Movie,\u00a0<\/em>performing the song \u201cLinus and Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before\u00a0the record release party at\u00a0Herb Alpert\u2019s Vibrato Grill &amp; Jazz for\u00a0Benoit\u2019s\u00a0latest release\u00a0<em>A Midnight Rendezvous,\u00a0<\/em>the<em>\u00a0<\/em>multi-faceted artist\u00a0sat down with\u00a0<em>M Music &amp; Musicians <\/em>magazine\u00a0to talk about his new album<em>,<\/em>\u00a0the\u00a0creative process,\u00a0benefits of recording in the era of COVID-19 and advice for anyone pursuing music as a profession.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-02.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20471\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-02.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-02-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-02-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><br \/>\nA\u00a0Midnight Rendezvous\u00a0<\/em>is stellar and recalls 1980s era<em>\u00a0<\/em>David Benoit, especially the title cut \u201cA\u00a0Midnight Rendezvous\u201d and \u201cLong Journey Home.\u201d\u00a0The album is\u00a0a collage of piano, jazz and big band songs lovingly assembled to provide an intimate glimpse of the artist. This album exudes quality, sophistication and a playful attitude, and Benoit\u00a0shared the back-story of\u00a0how the project\u00a0evolved.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOriginally,\u201d Benoit says, \u201cI had it in my mind to do a full big band album because I wanted to do something different. I didn\u2019t want to just put out another smooth jazz album. I talked with Bud Harner, my manager, who said Shanachie [Entertainment] is interested in doing another record with you. I thought\u2014well if they\u2019re willing to come up with a budget, which they were, then why not! With the album budget they were willing to give, I was able to do these big band tracks and put a few on the album to see how they sound\u2014see what kind of reaction I\u2019d get. So we did the more smooth jazz contemporary stuff. We went into the studio for two days, plus we were able to get the big band in there and get it all done. I was very fortunate to get the great players and present these new big band tracks along with the more familiar type material.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>David Benoit is at the top of his game on new instrumental release <\/em>A Midnight Rendezvous<em>: a collage of piano, jazz and big band songs lovingly assembled to provide an intimate glimpse of the artist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Enlisting\u00a0Eric Marienthal, Jeff Lorber, Pat Kelley, Roberto Vally, John \u201cJR\u201d Robinson, Luis Conte, Wayne Bergeron, Justin Klunk, Dan Schnelle and a cast of other stellar musicians, Benoit says, \u201cIt was all about calling\u00a0Eric Marienthal. I got lucky. This is where COVID-19 kind of was my friend. These guys were ready to get back into the studio. I had a window between Delta and Omicron, and we recorded these tracks. I was so lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you approach <em>A Midnight Rendezvous<\/em> album differently from your solo album?<br \/>\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Steinway Records recording was actually my first solo piano album. I\u2019m more used to tracking dates and getting in with a rhythm section. That\u00a0Steinway album was more challenging because there was nowhere to hide. Where\u2019s the bass player? Oh, I\u2019m the bass player\u2014and the drummer\u2014which presented its unique set of challenges. Going back to what I\u2019m comfortable with, having a really great rhythm\u00a0section, like John \u201cJR\u201d Robinson (drums) and Roberto Vally (bass), I\u2019m in my comfort zone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Were the big band tracks also comfortable?<\/strong><br \/>\nI was actually a little out of my comfort zone with the big band thing, which I really haven\u2019t done much of. A lot of prep time went into that\u2014because I only had four hours to record the whole thing. It\u2019s got to be really swinging and really together. There\u2019s no room for error because we just didn\u2019t have the budget for it. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I had the time because of COVID, so there strangely was a nice silver lining in the dark cloud of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was there a goal in mind when you set out to do this project?<br \/>\n<\/strong>It was a call from the producer saying let\u2019s go into the studio\u2014here\u2019s a budget. I need the master by this time and I need the album out by this time. That was our goal. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I\u2019d been writing during the pandemic and stockpiling tunes but there\u2019s nothing like getting an actual budget and deadline\u2014now we\u2019re going to rock and roll. It definitely helped having that call from Danny Weiss [Shanachie] to say let\u2019s do it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pat Kelley\u2019s acoustic guitar is spectacularly impressive on \u201cA Midnight Rendezvous.\u201d You both, along with Robinson and Vally, keep that song moving with such precision. Is that part of the magic that happens when you all get together or is it something you\u2019ve written?<br \/>\n<\/strong>That was an interesting situation. I wrote everything out pretty specifically and we tracked it with\u00a0John Robinson and\u00a0Roberto Vally. I wanted Pat to add some electric guitar wah-wah stuff to make it funky. He heard it and wanted to play acoustic guitar and do something very different than I expected. When he sent it back to me, I said wow! I heard his\u00a0acoustic guitar, really fell in love with it and then redid some of my piano to match his guitar.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-03.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20472\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-03.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-03-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-03-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who wrote that incredible bass groove on \u201cLong Journey Home\u201d<\/strong><strong>?<br \/>\n<\/strong>Roberto\u00a0came up with that. He\u2019s the co-writer on that song. He\u2019s a very creative player and we\u2019ve gotten to be good friends. It was a lot of fun to work with\u00a0Roberto.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve previously said that it\u2019s difficult to come up with a song title.<br \/>\n<\/strong>It\u2019s easier to write the song than come up with the title. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I always try to find interesting titles that are evocative. The original title was titled \u201cMidnight Stroll\u201d but it was already taken by a recent jazz recording. I was looking for something a little more evocative, so we came up with\u00a0\u201cA\u00a0Midnight Rendezvous.\u201d One of the reviewers in Hermosa Beach made a comment: \u2018What were you doing up at midnight?\u2019 I joked and said, \u2018Are you kidding? I was in bed by 9.\u2019 Ah\u2014these days are different times than the old days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You put a cool jazz stamp on Maren\u00a0Morris\u2019 country song \u201cThe Bones\u201d\u00a0and \u201cCabin Fever\u201d captures the mood of the world lockdown, with the percussive beat that echoes someone\u2019s footsteps pacing back and forth and the brass instruments whirring about embodying restlessness. <\/strong><strong>What was your motivation to write \u201cCabin Fever\u201d?<br \/>\n<\/strong>\u201cCabin Fever\u201d was actually written a long time ago, back in 1989. It appeared on an album called\u00a0<em>Waiting for Spring <\/em>[reached #1 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> jazz album charts]. It<em>\u00a0<\/em>was about restlessness. It\u2019s a funny coincidence that it is now about COVID. It was originally written about being in a cabin somewhere in the woods during the wintertime\u2014just couldn\u2019t wait for spring\u2014getting cabin fever. There\u2019s restlessness and energy to that track.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did one of your big band tracks \u201cGenerations\u201d come to you? Those parts are so intricate. The band goes in and out, comes down all the way and then pounds right at you.<br \/>\n<\/strong>This song took a long time to write. It did not come easily. I originally conceived it as a small group piece. I remembered times I played with Dave Brubeck. We had a younger player named Taylor Eigsti, so we were calling it \u201cThe Three Generations.\u201d I thought about the three generations of jazz: the saxes are one generation, the trumpets are another and then there\u2019s the piano. You hear them having a dialogue where they\u2019re answering back and forth. I thought this might make a very cool big band tune. A lot of time went into figuring out how to make the odd time work\u2014and then the dynamics too. When I put a lot of time into something, I sometimes wonder if people will only notice the radio play stuff or are they going to pay attention to the other tracks\u2014that wind up taking a lot of time and care. So, thank you for noticing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-05.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20474\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-05.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-05-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us about scoring films, how it differs from recording studio albums, and what it was like to work on\u00a0<em>The Stars Fell on Henrietta\u2014<\/em>produced by Clint Eastwood,\u00a0a jazz enthusiast, pianist and composer.<br \/>\n<\/strong>It\u2019s a different discipline. I had the pleasure of scoring one of Clint\u2019s films and he\u2019s very hands- on, even though he didn\u2019t act in the film. He produced\u00a0<em>The Stars Fell on Henrietta<\/em> [1995] and he was there for the recording sessions and a lot of the meetings. The thing with films you have to understand is\u2014you\u2019ve got to leave your ego at the door. You\u2019re writing for someone else\u2014trying to create and support their vision. I was so new to film scoring, the director didn\u2019t always like everything that I came up with\u2014and that was a hard pill to swallow. I had to rewrite a few times and finally he was happy with what I did. I had a great relationship\u00a0working with Sally [Field] on <em>The Christmas Tree<\/em> [1996]. It was her directorial debut\u2014so that was great. With TV\/ film, you\u2019re servicing the client, you\u2019re not servicing yourself. It\u2019s really all about what they want, what their vision is, and how you can best put that together.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019re known for live recording sessions\u2014minimizing overdubs and edits. That organic process shines on <em>This Side Up,\u00a0<\/em>which reached #4 on the\u00a0<em>Billboard\u00a0<\/em>Jazz Charts.\u00a0What are the challenges of recording live without a net?<br \/>\n<\/strong>It has to do with being really prepared\u2014a lot of time and practice goes into it before you actually have the session. I was watching the recent documentary about the Beatles [<em>The Beatles<\/em>:\u00a0<em>Get Back<\/em>],\u00a0watching the 8-track tape machine, the control room, the cables and George Harrison tripping over some wires\u2014the human element\u00a0of that process was just fascinating.\u00a0I\u2019ve never tried to walk into a studio and create a record inside the studio\u2014I could never afford to. So I\u2019ve had to do is a lot of preparation. By the time I get into the studio, there\u2019s not a lot of room for errors. When I do a take on piano, I always feel my best takes are usually the first and second takes. I don\u2019t overthink things. A lot of people overthink and spend hours until it\u2019s totally perfect. I don\u2019t believe that much in perfection. I believe more in capturing the energy and a good feeling. It\u2019s what I\u2019ve always liked about the Beatles\u2014that real human element. It\u2019s not so slick and overproduced. It was so interesting seeing that documentary. Fascinating how they would make records.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You give back to the community by investing in young people with your involvement in the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony (and as guest educator with Mr. Holland\u2019s Opus Foundation). Tell us about the importance of music education in public schools.<br \/>\n<\/strong>Music education is really, really important. The funding has gone away for music. A lot of the students in my orchestra aren\u2019t necessarily going to become professional musicians but just playing an instrument is a great discipline. I was doing a rehearsal last Sunday and the kids were very polite and they listened. They put away all the chairs and tables and cleaned up after themselves. There\u2019s a certain discipline about kids who play music. If we teach that in the schools early on, we\u2019ll have better kids. It doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re going to be professional musicians but just being able to know how to play an instrument, play in tune and work with others\u2014is hugely important.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-06-Photo-credit-Lori-Stoll.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20475\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-06-Photo-credit-Lori-Stoll.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"990\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-06-Photo-credit-Lori-Stoll.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-06-Photo-credit-Lori-Stoll-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-06-Photo-credit-Lori-Stoll-300x450.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Justin Klunk\u2019s soprano sax shines on \u201cFloating,\u201d \u201cLong Journey Home\u201d and \u201cAt Home.\u201d Years back, he was in\u00a0your orchestra and has now toured with Ariana Grande, Lindsey Stirling and others.\u00a0How was it to see that unfold?<br \/>\n<\/strong>Justin started with our orchestra when he was 12 years old, just this little kid. What was interesting about\u00a0Justin, and a lot of young players like him\u2014he wasn\u2019t a prodigy. At 12, he wasn\u2019t the next John Coltrane. He was just a kid who wanted to learn the saxophone. He started at 12 and kept getting better and better.\u00a0I helped get him into that program at USC, and he just blossomed. Sometimes it\u2019s\u00a0not the kids who are the prodigies; it\u2019s the ones who are willing to work hard. I don\u2019t see myself as a prodigy. I just love music and had a gift for it and worked at it. It was so nice to watch Justin grow. He was taking lessons from the\u00a0sax player that was my regular guy in the band, Andy Suzuki, and now Justin is that regular guy. He\u2019s in that chair now. He is officially my sax player. It\u2019s so exciting to see these kids come through the orchestra and show promise, and watch them grow. It\u2019s fantastic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jazz aficionados can catch\u00a0your morning show on KKJZ 88.1 FM in Long Beach, California.\u00a0How do you approach the role of radio show host and what is the most rewarding aspect of that gig?<br \/>\n<\/strong>I simply try to service the music, tell a story once in a while and have a sense of humor about the music. When I\u2019m saying K-Jazz, I have a smile on my face. I make people feel good and feel welcome. The one thing I never want to do is make someone feel I\u2019m above them or know more than they do. Some DJ\u2019s come across that way\u2014I know this and I know that. I\u2019d rather come across as: \u2018Hey, I\u2019m your friend and I just want to turn you on to this really cool music\u2014check it out.\u2019 I\u2019m there to service the music. That\u2019s what has been rewarding. It\u2019s a chance for me to stay in tune with all the new artists coming out in jazz. I\u2019m able to keep up with that by presenting the new jazz artists. It\u2019s been a fun 10 years.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-07.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20476\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-07.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-07.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-07-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Charlie Brown<\/em><\/strong><strong> and The Peanuts Gang<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><strong>and the music of Vince Guaraldi have been important to you.\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Why does the music from the\u00a0<em>Charlie Brown\u00a0<\/em>series seem to find new generations of fans? What makes Vince Guaraldi\u2019s compositions so endearing?<br \/>\n<\/strong>It\u2019s a combination of his abilities. He was a very intelligent piano player. He never read music. He played by ear and really related to the average listener. He wasn\u2019t one of those jazz cats who played so many notes that you didn\u2019t understand anything he was doing. That\u2019s the problem with a lot of jazz\u2014it\u2019s so elitist. But that wasn\u2019t him. Vince was about coming up with a melody that made people smile. That\u2019s what he was able to do even though he had all these chops as a great jazz pianist. He had that ability to write something catchy and simple. That\u2019s the genius of simplicity. Genius isn\u2019t writing a ton of notes. Genius is finding that one note or one little phrase that makes everyone go: Oh, I like that! It makes me feel good. That\u2019s what Vince was able to do so well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You were able to do that with many of your songs, including \u201cKei\u2019s Song\u201d from GRP\u2019s 1987 <em>Freedom at Midnight<\/em>.<br \/>\n<\/strong>Thank you. \u201cKei\u2019s Song\u201d has kind of become my signature song. That is part of my sound\u2014a certain melody that you can recognize right away. That\u2019s important.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>A Midnight Rendezvous<em>\u00a0<\/em><em>is poised to generate more David Benoit standards. Listeners will be immersed from the fade-in of cymbals on the title track to lingering keys that end his songs. Big band selections \u201cGenerations\u201d and \u201cCabin Fever\u201d will transport the listener back to a time when orchestras ruled the world.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>As someone who has been successful in the music industry with hit albums and multi-Grammy nominations, what advice can you offer someone who dreams of becoming a professional musician?<br \/>\n<\/strong>The main thing is finding your individual voice and being creative. There are so many people who want to get into this business. I have a lot of students and people I\u2019ve mentored who are all trying to break in one way or another. The ones I see who do\u2014those are the ones who are very persistent\u2014they never give up. With music, you just don\u2019t ever give up. Also, you have your own style, your own sound that nobody else has\u2014and that\u2019s very important. Anyone who wants to get into the business should definitely try to find their voice and go for it, and never give up.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-08.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20477\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-08.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-08-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-08-300x430.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Give us a sneak peek of the album release party Thursday, February 10, 2022 in Los Angeles at Herb Alpert\u2019s Vibrato Grill &amp; Jazz.<br \/>\n<\/strong>I just want everyone to have a really good time. Everyone\u2019s going to get a little taste of the big band side of me. We\u2019re actually doing \u201cBeat Street\u201d and another tune of mine \u201cCaf\u00e9 Rio,\u201d and then we\u2019re doing the Buddy Rich arrangement of \u201cMercy, Mercy, Mercy.\u201d It\u2019s really going to be swinging. Plus, we\u2019ll open the evening with my small group\u2014with Justin\u00a0Klunk\u00a0featured on sax, Dan Schnelle on drums and\u00a0Roberto Vally on bass.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-04.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20473\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-04.jpg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-04-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/David-Benoit-04-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As timeless and inevitable as starlight, David Benoit\u2019s <em>A Midnight Rendezvous<\/em> shines in all the right places of the heart. This collection is the penultimate expression of smooth jazz by the master himself and is<em>\u00a0<\/em>poised to generate\u00a0more Benoit standards.\u00a0Listeners will be immersed from the\u00a0fade-in of cymbals on the title track to the lingering keys that end his songs. Big band selections\u00a0\u201cGenerations\u201d and \u201cCabin Fever\u201d will transport the listener back to a time when orchestras ruled the world. The cover of\u00a0Dave Koz\u2019s \u201cYou Make Me Smile\u201d\u00a0is reminiscent of a romantic comedy score\u2014with big bold cinematic brushes, while \u201cWaiting for Spring\u201d uses water as a thematic element of redemption and rebirth. The bleak dreary winter is behind us and a sunny new horizon is within reach. The instrumental music here showcases\u00a0Benoit\u2019s diversity and competence with different genres. David Benoit is at the top of his game.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.DavidBenoitMusic.com\">www.DavidBenoitMusic.com<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Facebook.com\/davidbenoitmusic\">www.Facebook.com\/davidbenoitmusic<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Instagram.com\/official_davidbenoit\">www.Instagram.com\/official_davidbenoit<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.Twitter.com\/dbmusic\">www.Twitter.com\/dbmusic<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview Musician: DAVID BENOIT Video: \u201cA Midnight Rendezvous\u201d DAVID BENOIT IS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME WITH RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM A MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS by Rodeo Marie Hanson Pianist, composer, and arranger are some of the hats David Benoit has donned during several decades in the music business. Benoit\u2019s unique [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":20485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[13353,13354,13355,13356,13357,13358,13359,13360,13361,13362,13363,24,8500,13364,13365,8668,13366,13367,13368,13369,13370,13371,13372,13373,13374,8801,2619,13375,13376,13377,13378,13379,13380,4075,1008,9271,13381,2433,13382,8519,4935,13383,13384,13385,13386,13387,13388,13389,5998,13390,13391,13392,7566,8304,13393,3010,7978,13394,9292,13395,13396,13397,13398,13399,13310,9654,13400,13243,13244,13242,13401,13403,13402,10048,11315,13404,10211,13405,3818,13406,13407,13408,13409,13410,13411,13412,13413,13414,13415,8844,13416,13417,13418,8740,13419],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20469"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20492,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20469\/revisions\/20492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}