David Benoit: A smooth operator staying true to himself

David Benoit: A smooth operator staying true to himself

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jazz pianist David Benoit felt he had to give a proper greeting
to his audience, so he asked for the lights to be turned up.

But it took the lighting person in the Mutiara Ballroom of
Gran Melia Hotel, South Jakarta, a few long minutes to figure out
the instruction.

So, he went ahead and greeted them anyway.

Benoit has every right to treat Indonesian audiences with due
respect; they love the fact that he keeps coming back, with the
concert last Wednesday his fourth visit here.

I saw him in Bandung in 1996 when Benoit shared the stage with
guitarist Earl Klugh. It was a great concert, and the same can be
said for the one last week.

Accompanied by a drummer, a bassist and a sax player, Benoit
played with his trademark virtuosity, belting out around 15 songs
to an enthusiastic audience.

Kicking off the concert with Snap, an upbeat number from last
year's album Fuzzy Logic, he offered up old hits, like Kei's
Song, Every Step of The Way and the Charlie Brown Theme, and new
ones from the new album Right Here Right Now.

Released last week, the album is Benoit's 23rd recording (the
15th with the noted GRP record label) in his 25-year-career. Yet
he says it will be his last with GRP as he has decided to move
on.

According to Benoit, management changes have led to the label
interfering too much in the creativity process, and it's
something that bugs him.

On the morning prior to the concert, The Jakarta Post and a
few other local media had the opportunity to interview him on
topics such as the trend in major record companies swallowing up
smaller labels, the jazz scene today and how he still hopes to
win a Grammy.

Here is an excerpt of the interview.

The Jakarta Post: It's the fourth time you've come here. Do
you like Indonesia that much?

David Benoit: Well, the Indonesians must really like me
(laughs). Yes, I do like Indonesia. A lot of my friends are
really surprised that I still want to come, with all the
bombings.

But we have to share the music with the world, that's our job.
If we stop doing it, that's exactly what the terrorists want.
They want us to be afraid.

Terrorism, the 9/11 tragedy -- does it affect your creativity?

I wrote a very orchestral emotional piece, but the record
label doesn't want that kind of music (on my latest album). It's
a very different kind of time we're in right now. Record
companies, they're very conservative, and they want to stick to
one, you know, just keep it happy (laughs). So, I'm planning to
release this piece of music on my next record, to feature a lot
more of my orchestral symphonic music.

Speaking about conservative, is that why Fuzzy Logic is
musically different from your previous records?

Actually with Fuzzy Logic I wanted to try experimenting with
some funky music, some European music.

The new record Right Here Right Now, I actually wanted to put
on some more orchestral music on that album. But the record
company said no, I have to be honest. I'd just have to be honest
because that's just too bad. But it's also my last recording for
that label so I can afford to be a little more honest (laughs).

So, I'm looking for a new record label, the way they used to
be -- which was very friendly about artists and letting them do
what they wanted. So, I'm looking to get back to that situation.

So, you will no longer be with GRP?

Doesn't look like it. They have, surprisingly, made an offer
to have me stay. But I have four other offers from other
recording labels. All smaller labels. So, I'm looking at all
those offers.

But the most important thing with anybody is letting me be
creative, not just fitting into the narrow category of smooth
jazz.

Because I've always in my career as, you know, been able to do
different kinds of records. So, this is just a recent thing where
the record company has changed their rules.

You've been nominated for a Grammy Award three times but never
won one. How do you feel about that?

It's a mixed feeling. To be nominated for a Grammy Award is
really a big accomplishment in terms of the overall. I'm happy
just to be nominated.

But that's one reason for the record company, because if we're
just making music that is just really average, there's less
chance to win a Grammy. When you win the Grammy, that means
you've come up with something that is musically brilliant.

So my song about 9/11 has more chance to win the Grammy than
(doing a cover of Herbie Hancock's classic) Watermelon Man
(laughs). I mean, I just wanna be given the chance to at least do
what I think can get me a Grammy. Although, like I say, I'm happy
just to be nominated.

There is that prolonged debate with purists who think that
smooth jazz is not jazz. How do you position yourself on
that ...?

I'm somewhere in the middle. Being one of the people who
started smooth jazz, I need to be allowed to do other things. I
like all kinds of music. I'm not a purist, no.

I just don't want to have those restrictions from a record
company to do just smooth jazz. I do smooth jazz but it's not
enough for me, 'cause there's not enough musical substance in it,
you need to do other stuff. It's important to do other things.

You're also working on a play about Marilyn Monroe, right?

Yes, it's a musical called Something's Gotta Give, with 18
songs in it. I hope to get started on that again, that has been a
long process. This is in the third year.

I recorded the title song from that musical on the new album,
but it was taken off by the record company. They said, "No
Broadway show music, this is smooth jazz, stick to that".

Is that what the market really wants or the record company
just doesn't want to take the risk?

The large companies just don't want to take risks. The music
downloading problem has just killed all the sales in America. And
so now they're just so afraid they don't want any music that
sounds too far out.

It was very shocking to all of us when the label asked us --
not even asked us, they told us -- to take the song off. There
were the calls to the attorney, and I felt the best thing to do
was to give me the copyright back in the ownership, so that I
could put it out on other record.

Will the unwillingness to take the risk kill new talent?

I guess so, I think it's a big concern. I think part of the
problem is that when GRP started it, it was just two men: Larry
Rosen and Dave Grusin. They love music and they promoted it.

And then it was butt out, like Universal. And Universal put a
guy in there whose only concerned about sales, and not about the
music.

That's a trend right now because of these huge corporations
buying small labels. They have more control and more power to
tell artists what to do.

Do you think the 9/11 tragedy has had such a huge impact on
the jazz music scene? You know, like in the 1930s when swing
shifted to bebop?

I don't think there is any real influence. It certainly
changes the way we live. But I see a lot of artists are going
back to the old classic standards, like Diana Krall.

Why is that?

I think people are looking for melody again. I think the rap
movement changed music, and in a good way. But it is less melody
oriented and more beat oriented, with drum loops and everything.

It's the same in Europe now with popular music called chill
music, with this drum beat, jazz sample ... but it's all based on
drum patterns.

Do you think the emergence of Norah Jones has really changed
the jazz music scene?

I think it's been great, the emergence of Norah Jones. She's
bringing back the melody song instead of this just drum pattern,
and monotonous drum beat.

Like in Don't Know Why, we can't barely hear the drums
(humming the song).. the important thing is that melody.

When I first heard it on the radio, I hadn't heard anything
like that for so long. I was like, Wow, who is this?.

Again, she stuck to her beliefs. I think what she's doing is
great. I think she sort of started a trend that I'm excited
about, OK, let's get back to some songs again (laughs).

That's why I decided to cover her song (on his latest album).

Later that night, Benoit retouched that very song, accompanied
by local singer Nina from pop group Warna. It was not a very
appropriate choice, given Nina's less jazzy vocals.

Before that, singer Glenn Fredly also popped out on stage,
singing Earth, Wind and Fire's seminal hit After the Love Has
Gone. Not bad, but the appearance of the two local singers seemed
a bit unnecessary.

Still, it was pretty liberating that amid all the tragedy and
fears surrounding us here, we still got the chance to watch a
world-class performance from a loyal friend. At prices up to Rp
450,000 it was a pretty expensive treat, but it was worth every
penny.