Benito Gonzalez

Benito Gonzalez Benito Gonzalez (piano) Benito Gonzalez is one of those pianists who transforms the Jazz heritage into an impulse towards new horizons. His devotion to the instrument and his creativity have made him an unmistakable voice on the current scene, consolidating Benito Gonzalez as a tireless explorer of contemporary piano. Winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 2005 and distinguished in 2020 as a Steinway & Sons artist for the rhythmic strength and Afro-Latin patterns that permeate his music, the Venezuelan-born, New York-based pianist began among the folk sounds of his country before being guided by the likes of Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. His career in the USA began in Washington D.C., playing with Ghanaian master Okyerema Asante. He decided to stay there and his career led him to share the stage with Jackie McLean in 2003 and, soon after, to join Kenny Garrett's quartet for seven years, a period marked by two Grammy nominations. He later collaborated with Azar Lawrence and in 2019 joined the legendary Pharoah Sanders as pianist and musical director. Gonzalez has been an essential sideman with musicians such as Bobby Hutcherson, Dave Liebman, Gary Bartz, Curtis Fuller, Al Foster, Lenny White, Billy Hart, Ignacio Berroa, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Buster Williams, Rene McLean, Steve Turre, Delfeayo Marsalis, Hamiet Bluiett, Ron Blake, Antonio Sanchez and Mark Gros. At the same time, he has developed a solid solo career with works such as Starting Point (2004), Circles (2010), Dream Rhapsody (2015), the tribute to McCoy Tyner Passion Reverence Transcendence (2018) y Sing to the World (2021) in which he placed rhythm at the centre, driven by an energetic pulse and an intense Afro-Latin influence. At a time when many pianists are seeking their own voice by drawing inspiration from previous generations, Gonzalez stands out for going beyond, building a personal, bold, creative and intuitive discourse.