River Silver Michel Benita

• 1 Back from the Moon 05:49
• 2 River Silver 04:37
• 3 I See Altitudes 05:54
• 4 Off the Coast 06:13
• 5 Yeavering 03:46
• 6 Toonari 05:58
• 7 Hacihi Gatsu 04:43
• 8 Lykken 06:02
• 9 Snowed In 06:21
• Total Runtime 49:23

Info for River Silver

Nach zwei beispielhaften ECM-Alben als Mitmusiker von Andy Sheppard präsentiert Michel Benita nun ein Album seiner eigenen Gruppe. Die Ethics-Band ist international besetzt: Der in Algerien geborene Bassist führt ein Line-Up an, dem ein Flügelhornist aus dem schweizerischen Fribourg, ein Koto-Spieler aus Tokio, ein Gitarrist aus dem norwegischen Drøbak und ein französischer Schlagzeuger, der einst als Mitglied des Sinfonieorchesters von Istanbul in der Türkei lebte, angehören. Entsprechend fließt auch die Musik über Grenzen hinweg wie der im Albumtitel erwähnte schimmernde Fluss. Zusätzlich zu seinen eigenen Kompositionen und einem Stück von Mieko Miyazaki hat Benita auch einen Song der northumbrischen Dudelsack-Spielerin Kathryn Tickell sowie eine des norwegischen Organisten und Komponisten Eyvind Alnæs (1872-1932) aufgenommen. Insgesamt herrscht eine stark lyrische Stimmung vor, wobei Mathieu Michels graziöses Flügelhornspiel im Vordergrund steht, während Koto, Bass und Schlagzeug als Kern der Band kreativ interagieren. Folk- und Jazz-Farben mischen sich in Michel Benitas multi-idiomatischem Kompositionsstil auf sehr natürliche Weise. Eivind Aarsets Gitarren und die, wie Benita sie nennt, „organische Elektronik“ hüllen die Musik sanft ein. Das gesamte Klangbild erhielt seinen Feinschliff in der besonderen Akustik des Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI in Lugano, wo River Silver im April 2015 mit Manfred Eicher als Produzent aufgenommen wurde. Das Album erscheint rechtzeitig zu einer Europatournee im Januar, die Konzerte in Deutschland, Österreich, der Schweiz, Frankreich und Belgien einschließt.

„Selten war Musik so friedvoll! Selten war ein Albumtitel so klug, so treffend gewählt. Alles fließt, nichts braust auf, stellt sich in Vordergrund oder in den Weg. Michel Benita, französischer Jazz-Bassist mit algerischen Wurzeln, übt sich mit seinen Musikern in Zurückhaltung. Selbstverständlich gibt es Akzente, ist die Musik keineswegs gleichförmig. Matthieu Michels Flügelhorn klingt mit seiner natürlich gegebenen Präsenz. Das Koto, ein traditionelles, japanisches Saiteninstrument, gespielt von Mieko Mayazaki, gibt dem Ganzen einen exotischen Touch. Und doch spielt sich nichts und niemand in den Vordergrund. Wie Wellen kommt mal das eine, mal das andere an die Oberfläche und ordnet sich dann wieder unter. Bei dieser Musik kann man Stress vergessen.“ (mdr.de)

Mathias Eick, Trompete
Eivind Aarset, Gitarre
Michel Benita, Kontrabass
Mieko Miyazaki, Koto
Philippe Garcia, Schlagzeug

Michel Benita
On the European jazz scene, Michel Benita is neither the most vehement nor the most intrusive double bass player around. Some speak of honesty in his consideration for others. His path, attachments, partners reveal a musician of commitment and fidelity, curiosity and enthusiasm. Living in Paris in the early 1980s, he did everything he could to catch up, and he multiplied his experiences and dragged his instrument around to all those who called on his services. The names of the jazzmen with whom he played in those early years would compile a Who’s Who of jazzmen who played in France, where expatriate American legends (Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp…) played side by side with sure European values (Daniel Humair, Bobo Stenson, Enrico Pieranunzi…), and where his future friends of always (Peter Erskine, Aldo Romano, Nguyên Lê…) played in one-night stands with musicians just passing through.

A tough school but a good one, traveling from club to club and on the road, a school that freed Michel’s fingers from the constraints of technique and earned him the reputation of one of the most promising bass players around. So he was naturally asked to play in the first Orchestre National de Jazz which, under the direction of François Jeanneau, brought together the cream of a new generation of French musicians in 1986.Other friendships dating back to this time have never stopped producing beautiful music: the Italian pianist Rita Marcotulli, whom Michel met in 1987 and whom he asked to participate in his first quartet alongside Dewey Redman, a little known giant and long time companion of Ornette Coleman (two albums for Label Bleu); Aldo Romano, the drummer, with whom he has worked in privileged tandem since 1995, including in the group Palatino with Paolo Fresu and Glenn Ferris, which is certainly not the least interesting of his encounters (three records so far)…

Marc Ducret, first as part of a trio revealing the guitarist’s talent, and then as part of Seven Songs From The Sixties, a mythical “tentet”; the drummer Peter Erskine, with whom he formed the ELB trio along with Nguyen Lê, who had just before invited Michel to help him tell his Tales From Vietnam (ACT).

To whatever combo he plays in, Michel Benita brings a rich, sure and melodious sonority, which is as much indebted to Scott LaFaro for its finesse as to Charlie Haden for its virtues of simplicity, without forgetting the steadiness of a Dave Holland who pairs up with the most complex drummers around, and the expressive cantabile of Nordic bass players such as Arild Andersen, Palle Danielsson and Anders Jormin.

In 2001, he joins Erik Truffaz’s Ladyland combo (Mantis, Blue Note). Then, forming a new trio with sax player Gaël Horellou and drummer Philippe Garcia, two younger musicians (Cosmik Connection), he finds the time to write the music for several documentaries. Michel now has his ears attuned to experimentation and cross disciplines, which he has explored since 1996 as the beloved composer of Hilton McConnico, decorator, photographer, designer, and also scenographer of Hermès, for whom he has already composed the music for 5 exhibitions or fashion shows in France and Japan. As Michel commences his fifth decade, his career takes another decisive turn with an electronic project, Drastic, with a new album, which makes him shiver with excitement in the act of creation and in reaching new audiences.

In 2010, the album ‘Ethics’, brings a new dimension to his music, with the use of the japanese koto, beautifully played by Mieko Miyazaki, a very eclectic and charismatic musician from Tokyo. Matthieu Michel, from Switzerland, plays his dreamy lines on trumpet and Philippe Garcia, his pal from the Truffaz years is on the drums and electronics. Eivind Aarset, from Norway, on guitar and laptop, adds a very special ambient touch to the ten compositions Michel wrote for this band.

In 2012, two major albums. First a live double CD by Palatino (Romano, Ferris, Fresu, Benita), a collective band reunited for a one shot concert in Grenoble’s MC2 (Naïve). Then his first recording produced by Manfred Eicher on ECM, as a member of Trio Libero, formed by english saxophonist Andy Sheppard with Seb Rochford on drums.

During the years 2013-2014, he’s touring with accordion player Vincent Peirani and pianist Michaël Wollny (”Thrill Box”, ACT). Then records a new album for ECM with Andy Sheppard, as part of his new quartet, featuring Eivind Aarset and Sebastian Rochford.

2015: First album with the Ethics Band on ECM. The acute sound-pictures of “River Silver” were realized in the responsive acoustics of the Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano in April 2015, with Manfred Eicher producing. The album is Benita’s third ECM appearance, following two discs with Andy Sheppard: “Trio Libero” and “Surrounded By Sea”. All three albums have been Lugano recordings, the studio’s recital room ambience encouraging detailed interaction.

2018: Third album on ECM as a member of Andy Sheppard’s quartet, “Romaria”. The album is Benita’s fourth ECM appearance.

Booklet for River Silver