Home » Jazz Articles » Interview » Carles Benavent: Jazz, Flamenco and Blues
Carles Benavent: Jazz, Flamenco and Blues
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals1901 - 1971
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Chick Corea
piano1941 - 2021
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Benavent was born in Barcelona in 1954. He still lives in Catalonia and gave this interview in a Barcelona restaurant, accompanied by luthier Jerzy Drodz, who designs and builds Benavent's bass guitars. Drodz was on hand to translate some of the more complex questions and answers and to contribute information about the construction and development of Benavent's instruments.
Chapter Index
The Early Years Collaborations The Bass Guitar Un, Dos, Tres... Future Plans and Projects
The Early Years
At the age of 13, Benavent began to learn the bass guitar, deciding on that particular instrument for one simple reason. "I had a friend at school who played electric guitar, but I thought the bass would be easier because it only had four strings. That's the reason I chose the bass, really. But I started to learn by copying the playing of
Eric Clapton
guitar and vocalsb.1945
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
This autodidactic approach resulted in the development of Benavent's individual playing style: using a pick and the fingers of his right hand to pluck the strings while his left hand moves between chords and single note patterns, in a way that is closer to that of an acoustic guitarist than a typical electric bassist. As he grew up, Benavent began to learn other styles of music, but the fundamentals of his playing technique were firmly established. "I started with the blues when I was about 13 or 14. Flamenco and jazz came later." Exposure to new musical genres even led the bassist to wish for a change in nationality: "Three or four years after the blues, I discovered Brazilian music, and I wanted to be Brazilian," he says, laughing. "I also started to play mandolin, playing Spanish and Mediterranean music—not flamenco but other styles."
Although Benavent's early influences were guitarists, one bassist did have an impact on his thinking. "I always played four-string electric bass guitar. Then I heard
Jaco Pastorius
bass, electric1951 - 1987
Weather Report
band / ensemble / orchestraThe two bassists never met, but Pastorius was aware of Benavent's playing. "A few years ago, I recorded a Pastorius tune, and I called his widow, Ingrid Pastorius, to ask permission. She said yes and told me that Jaco knew me, knew my work with Paco and [flamenco singer] Camarón De La Isla."
Benavent attended a music conservatory, "to study double bass rather than musical theory," as he puts it. His growing involvement in flamenco meant that his ability to play by ear was of equal, if not greater, importance than an understanding of theory. "Flamenco is very much about playing by ear; it's the way the guitar techniques, el cante [the song] and the dances are transmitted from father to son. It's a shared language. You don't need to see notes; it's very much about feelings."
Collaborations
By the early '70s, Benavent was establishing his career, making his first album as a member of the Catalan rock band Máquina!. En Directo (Diábolo, 1972). He's recorded consistently since then, with bands such as jazz-rockers Música Urbana and in collaboration with artists including De La Isla, flamenco guitarist
Josemi Carmona
guitar
Gil Goldstein
piano
In the early '80s, he began two long-lasting musical collaborations, with de Lucia and Corea, that would see him touring worldwide. He speaks of both men with a genuine warmth and affection. "Paco is one of the finest flamenco musicians. I was impressed by his dynamic quality when I first met him. He can go from very, very, sweet, soft tremolo to the sound of a machine gun in less than a second without losing the tempo, the pulse. This emotional control is one of Paco's finest qualities. This is one of my goals—to control emotions in my playing."Benavent performed with de Lucia for 21 years, from 1981 to 2001, playing bass guitar and mandola and developing his own approach to flamenco bass guitar. His relationship with Corea began thanks to de Lucia. "Chick has a great affinity with the music of Spain. He's loved Spanish music for many years. We first played together in Japan. I was touring with Paco, and Chick was there with [bassist]
Eddie Gomez
bassb.1944
Roy Haynes
drums1926 - 2024
Michael Brecker
saxophone, tenor1949 - 2007
Al Di Meola
guitarb.1954
John McLaughlin
guitarb.1942
This relationship has lasted 30 years so far. "Yes. Chick is a very kind man, a close friend. He's very stimulating and supportive, too." The pair last appeared on record in 2006, on Corea's The Ultimate Adventure (Stretch Records) and Benavent and Carmona's Sumando (Nuevos Medios), when Corea guested on the Carmona tune "Soleó." Two days after this interview, the pianist and bass guitarist were reunited on the stage of Barcelona's Palau De La Musica (pictured above), when Benavent joined Corea's trio as a special guest, playing with Corea, double bassist
Christian McBride
bassb.1972
Brian Blade
drumsb.1970
Possibly, Benavent's briefest musical collaboration took place in Montreux in 1991, when he joined Davis and [producer]
Quincy Jones
arranger1933 - 2024
Gil Evans
composer / conductor1912 - 1988
Davis died in September, 1991. Could Benavent's working relationship with the trumpeter have developed if circumstances had been different? Benavent is sanguine about the idea. "Who knows? I would have liked to work with him more. Miles never did the same thing for long; he never stopped being creative, brave. Flamenco is very interesting for a musician like Miles. When I met Miles, I spoke to him about it. He knew about Paco; he was aware of the style."
The Bass Guitar
For many years, Benavent played "off-the-shelf" bass guitars, but for the last decade he has been using instruments custom built by Drodz. It seems only fitting that a musician with such an individual technique should play basses designed specifically for him, and Drodz and Benavent clearly have a strong working and personal relationship. Their relationship started in 2003, when Benavent asked Drodz to make the first of these instruments, a commission which, Drodz says, "was a big challenge for me." It may have been a challenge, but Drodz succeeded, and a day or two before this interview Benavent debuted a new bass, the third designed by Drodz, at his Barcelona Jazz Festival trio concert with pianist
"
data-original-title="" title="">Roger Mas and drummer Roger Blàvia. On stage, the instrument both looked and sounded beautiful, and Benavent played it as if he'd owned it for years rather than just a day or two. When asked if he's enjoying his new bass guitar, Benavent responds with a big smile and cries out, "This is the best!"
Visually, the most obvious thing about Benavent's instrument is that it's a five-string. However, while most five-string bass guitars include an additional low string, usually tuned to B, this instrument features an additional higher string, tuned to C. There are other less obvious developments, as Benavent explains. "Before, I had two basses: a standard bass and a piccolo bass. So I thought, 'Why not put both into a single instrument?' Also, it's a short-scale instrument: the body is quite big, but the neck is shorter than usual, easier to reach to the F."
These design features mean that the bass differs in many ways from classics such as the Fender Jazz beloved of many rock and jazz players. "For me, a long-scale bass like the Jazz is very heavy. I call these basses 'wardrobes' because they are so big and heavy. I used to play fretless basses, but when I added the fifth string I went back to using frets, as this is easier for tuning. They are mandolin frets, smaller and narrower than normal bass frets." This gives the precision of a fretted instrument with the fluid sound of a fretless bass. "Yes, that's right. People often say to me that it sounds like a fretless. It's very flexible; I can bend the neck to get a vibrato effect, but the tuning is still stable. It's a very dynamic instrument, which is very important for flamenco. Flamenco is a very emotional music: you can play something very piano, light, then suddenly very forte. I can do that on this instrument. Another characteristic of this bass is that the neck is the width of a four-string instrument's. So the strings are very close, and with a pick I can more easily play fast. For bass guitarists who play with their fingers in the normal way, the strings would be too close."
Un, Dos, Tres ...
Benavent's 2011 album, Un, Dos, Tres ... (bebeyne records), draws together many of his musical influences. The record centers on his own compositions, performed by his trio with Mas and Blàvia. "I had tunes already written; I had ideas that were not yet complete, and I wrote songs especially for the album. One tune written especially is 'Don,' my homage to [percussionist]
Don Alias
percussion1939 - 2006
One of the most immediately engaging tunes is "Bailas?," with its distinctive electric keyboard part. "The title means 'Do you dance?' The keyboard sound is like 
Herbie Hancock
pianob.1940
Benavent is particularly keen to relate the tale of how one number came to be on the album. "There is one tune by the great Catalan classical composer Federico Mompou: 'Scenes D'Enfants.' I had a version of the tune, recorded with strings. I have kept the piano very close to the original score, while the bass and rhythm become closer to flamenco."
Benavent is clearly a fan of Mompou—"It's a pity that this great musician is not famous like Gaudi," he says, referring to Barcelona's most influential and best-known architect—and the tune is undeniably lovely, but there is another reason for its inclusion on the album. "In 1995, I was in a car crash. For a year, I couldn't play; my radial nerve was damaged. When I was in the hospital, a friend gave me a Mompou record and a record of Johann Sebastian Bach's lute music. These two records gave me something I can't explain—a comfort, a power. They, along with the unexpected avalanche of phone calls from people who loved me, gave me the energy to recover. So that's another reason why I chose this tune for the album."
The accident may have been serious, but luckily its long-term effects on his playing were limited. "No, it didn't affect my playing. If I was a pianist, I would have been finished. I lost some strength in my finger, for hammering on, but I worked around that. I was lucky."
Future Plans and Projects
Benavent's current projects continue to reflect his wide range of musical interests. "I have three more projects as well as my trio with Roger and Roger. I have another trio, Benavent-di Geraldo-Pardo, with Jorge Pardo, who plays sax and flute, and Tino di Geraldo on drums. We've known each other for a long time. I form part of Lobi, a project of
Stéphane Galland
drumsb.1969
Magic Malik
flute
Tigran Hamasyan
piano
Joan Sanmarti
guitarb.1959
After a long and very enjoyable lunch, the interview with this talented yet modest musician drew to a close. Benavent's love for his music and for his friends and colleagues had come over incredibly strongly as he talked, but one statement seemed to encapsulate his approach to his career: "I have had good opportunities in my life. I've been a lucky man, but I always try to be prepared so that I can take the chance when it comes."
Selected Discography
Carles Benavent, Un, Dos, Tres ... (bebyne records, 2011)
Carles Benavent, Quartet (bebyne records, 2009)
Carles Benavent and Josemi Carmona, Sumando (Nuevos Medios, 2006)
Chick Corea, The Ultimate Adventure (Stretch Records, 2006)
Carles Benavent, Fénix (Nuevos Medios, 1997)
Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, Miles and Quincy Live At Montreux (Warner Brothers, 1993)
Gil Goldstein, Zebra Coast (Blue Note, 1992)
Camarón de la Isla, Calle Real (Polygram, 1983)
Carles Benavent, Carles Benavent (Nuevos Medios, 1983)
Chick Corea, Touchstone (Stretch Records, 1982)
Paco de Lucia, Sólo Quiero Caminar (Polygram, 1981)
Música Urbana, Música Urbana (Edgisa, 1975)
Máquina!, En Directo (Diábolo, 1972)
Photo Credits
All Photos: Bruce Lindsay
Tags
Carles Benavent
Interview
Bruce Lindsay
Spain
Barcelona
Louis Armstrong
Jimi Hendrix
Charlie Parker
Chick Corea
Miles Davis
Eric Clapton
Jaco Pastorius
Weather Report
Josemi Carmona
Gil Goldstein
eddie gomez
Roy Haynes
Michael Brecker
Al Di Meola
john mclaughlin
Christian McBride
Brian Blade
Quincy Jones
Gil Evans
Roger Mas
Don Alias
Herbie Hancock
Stéphane Galland
Magic Malik
Tigran Hamasyan
Joan Sanmarti
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