Podcast 853: A Conversation with Benito Gonzalez

Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

With the release of Sing to the World on the St. Petersburg, Russia label Rainy Days Records pianist Benito Gonzalez takes a stellar step into the future of his jazz journey. He’s assembled an impressive team of collaborators to perform the ten tunes, including Christian McBride, Essiet Okon Essiet, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Nicholas Payton as well as rising stars Russian drummer Sasha Mashin, trumpeter Josh Evans and saxophonist Makar Kashitsyn.

Gonzalez describes the album as a musical exploration into the concept of freedom, one that recognizes the dignity of us all as individuals. Music, he says in our conversation, is the way he communicates, and with which he hopes to make a change in the world. The opening track, “Sounds of Freedom” is inspired by “the troubling situations in our world today. People are looking for freedom in places like my home Venezuela, in Russia, the U.S. People are searching, fighting for freedom.”

In addition to his slow-to-upbeat originals, Gonzalez adds to the set list two compositions that have never been recorded by their composers: Roy Hargrove’s soulful “Father” and Jeff “Tain” Watt’s “412.” In our conversation, he describes the relationship he had with the late trumpeter, and also with his current favorite drummer, and how he came to record the tunes.

Born in Venezuela, Benito made his way to U.S. by a serendipitous route when an American cultural ambassador caught one of his trio gigs and later invited him to come to Washington, D.C. to play shows with Ghanaian master drummer Okyerema Asante. From there came a stretch with Jackie McLean, and then seven years in Kenny Garrett’s quartet until 2013. After his stint with Garrett, he played with saxophonist Azar Lawrence’s band, then in 2019 was enlisted by saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders to be his pianist/musical director. Sing to the World is his fifth album as a leader.

Podcast 853 is my conversation with Benito, as we discuss the new CD, what he seeks in his musical collaborators, and his coming world tour. Musical selections from Sing to the World include “Sounds of Freedom.”