Benny Rietveld
Benny Rietveld (born February 12, 1959) is an American bassist. He is also a composer, producer, performer, arranger, transcriber and teacher whose live TV performances include David Letterman, Dancing With The Stars, Musikladen, Top Of The Pops, Tonight with Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall, Jools Holland, Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Super Bowl XXXVII, George Lopez, and others.
Music video performance highlights include Glamorous Life, Sister Fate, chart topping Turn Your Lights On and Grammy award winning Maria, Maria. For the last 25 years, he has been Musical Director and bass player for Carlos Santana (with whom he regularly records and performs). Over the course of his career as a celebrated bassist he has recorded, arranged, performed live, and composed with many of the greats including, Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Lauryn Hill, Booker T. Jones, Zucchero, Keola Beamer, Wayne Shorter, Al Foster, Dennis Chambers, Cindy Blackman, Bonnie Hayes (on her eponymous album), Richie Cole, Bud Shank, Pete Escovedo, Linda Tillery, David Gilmore, Mike Marshall, Kirk Hammett (Metallica), David Garibaldi, Francesco Di Gregori, and others.
Rietveld is currently editing a film of performances and shorts written and directed by himself and has just finished recording on "Africa Speaks" by Santana. To learn more about him or to listen to excerpts from his latest solo album Mystery of Faith, visit him at bennyworld.com.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Rietveld was born in Utrecht (the Netherlands) but raised on the laid-back island of Oahu in Hawaii. Piano served as a musical gateway: he started lessons at 6 and then moved on to guitar through his older cousin, Fred Schreuders, followed by bass and drums at the age of 12 (playing in rock and dance bands). In high school, he learned how to play other percussion instruments and the saxophone but remained devoted to bass.
Career[edit]
Rietveld attended the University of Hawaii College of Music where he studied Music Composition before moving on to play bass on island dates with visiting jazz artists including Richie Cole, Barney Kessel, Howard Roberts, The Crusaders, Bill Mays, Makoto Ozone, Gabe Baltazar (an alumnus of The Stan Kenton Orchestra), Ray Obiedo, Andy Narell, Pete Escovedo, Linda Tillery and many others. An all-round prodigy, Benny’s primary expertise is in electric bass and upright bass - he ‘knows how to prop others up while maintaining a solid groove’ - however he has also developed into ‘one of the most sought after musicians in the professional circuit’ with expertise in the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, vocals, orchestral Percussion and tenor saxophone. When not working as a musical director, other hats he wears have included producer, composer, scorer, arranger (for horns, strings and full orchestra), video editing, photography, writing, journalism, and acting.
San Francisco (1983-1998)[edit]
Rietveld joined Sheila E.’s band for their 1984 tour which involved opening for Prince on The Purple Rain Tour. A part in the 1985 hip-hop musical film, Krush Groove, followed along with dates with Huey Lewis and the News among others.[citation needed] Rietveld joined Miles Davis's band for his 1988 World Tour,[1] going on to appear in various concert videos with Davis and Michel LeGrand for Warner Bros. This period of work included performing (with solo slots) on videos like Miles In Paris, Dingo (a soundtrack album with Miles and Michel Legrand), Live Around The World and others. Rietveld joined Santana in 1991.
New York (1998 – present)[edit]
Rietveld has been playing, arranging and composing since the 1980s - from albums like Spirits Dancing In The Flesh, Milagro, and All That I Am to multimedia music for Computer Life, Computer Gaming World, Sprint, and others. He also gigs at venues like The Living Room.
Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
2015 Topaz - “The Same But Worse” – composer, arranger 2014 Transfiguration (co-written with Teodora Enache) – composer and bassist 2006 Genuine Article (album from label, Sharlene Oshiro) – composer and bassist Rietveld co-wrote all these original songs with former high-school friends from Hawaii who are now also world class musicians, with guitarist Jamie Fox, Alan Won (legendary saxophonist), Noel Okimoto (one of the best drummers in the world) ‘One of those CDs that only has good songs on it’. 2001 Solo album, “Mystery of Faith” – composer, bassist, and arranger. This includes performances by Carlos Santana, Tom Coster, Barbara Higbie and other friends. It is a wild, often melodic, mostly instrumental collection - with two bass solo numbers – that takes you from the Middle East to Middle Earth, with various stops in between. Described as ‘an adventurous genre-jumping solo album’. 2003 “Come To Me” (album written with Gregory James) – composer, arranger
As sideman[edit]
2016 Santana IV - composer, arranger, and producer, working with vocalist Ronald Isley Someone Else (Alicyn Yaffee) – bassist, composer, arranger 2005 All That I Am - bassist, arranger and composer on this Santana album 2002 Grammy winning “Game of Love” and appearing in its music video - bassist 1999 Love of my life (Santana / Dave Matthews / Carter Beauford album) - bassist on the song Smooth (with Rob Thomas on the Santana album, Supernatural) - bassist, composer and arranger 1992 Milagro (Santana’s 17ths album) - bassist, composer and arranger David Garibaldi: Tower Of Groove – himself (bassist) 1991 Strip me naked (bassist, composer and arranger on the John Lee Hooker album, Mr. Lucky) 1985 “Save The People” (Sheila E.) – composer, arranger 1984 “Too Sexy” (Sheila E.) – composer, arranger
Awards[edit]
Rietveld is the recipient of 1 Bammy, 9 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammys for his performances and music writing on the Santana albums Supernatural and Shaman, playing on hits like “Smooth” (including Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Song Of The Year, in collaborations with Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas and others).
Filmography[edit]
2019 Boundless (short film dir. Rosario Dawson) - composer and arranger Howard (short film) (dir.Zorinah Juan) - composer and arranger 2018 Time Makeover – (HGTV series) - composer and arranger Girl Code (short film) (dir. Julie Bowen) - composer and arranger 2016 The Miles Davis Documentary - self (bassist), composer Santana: Santana IV - Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (Video) – bassist, composer 2014 Santana Corazon: Live from Mexico: Live It to Believe It - musical director, bassist 2009 Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior - Live at the Fillmore (TV Special) - self (bassist) One More Vote (dir. by Mama Keita) – actor 2008 Six for the Road (TV Series) - composer 2007 Brooklyn Rules (Alec Baldwin / Mena Suvari movie) - composer of entire score, arranger, conductor, music producer, musician: guitar, bass 2006 Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (Documentary) - self 2005 I’m Feeling You (music video of song from on Santana’s album All That I Am ) - bassist 2001 Supernatural Live - bassist All Access: Santana (IMAX) (2001) - himself 2000 A Supernatural Evening with Carlos Santana (TV Special) - self (bass) 1998 Crutch (short film, dir, Rick Midler) – composer, arranger 1989 Miles In Paris (a live album by Miles Davis recorded at the Paris Jazz Festival) - bassist 1988 Miles Davis: Live in Munich - bassist 1985 Krush Groove (dir. Michael Schultz) - self
References[edit]
- ↑ Tingen, Paul (2001). Miles beyond : the electric explorations of Miles Davis, 1967-1991. New York: Billboard Books. pp. 257, 298. ISBN 978-0-8230-8346-6. Search this book on
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