Carles Benavent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carles Benavent
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Benavent in Berlin, 2012
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| Background information | |
| Born | March 1, 1954 Barcelona, Spain |
| Genres | Flamenco, jazz, progressive rock, pop/rock |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Associated acts | Paco de Lucía Sextet, Paco de Lucía, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Camarón de la Isla |
Carles Benavent (born on March 1, 1954) is a famous Catalan flamenco and jazz bass player. He is known for his unique way of playing the bass guitar.
Contents
Carles Benavent was born in Barcelona, Spain. He started playing the bass guitar when he was thirteen years old. He was inspired by blues and rock music, especially by the guitarist Jimi Hendrix.
How He Learned and Played
Carles taught himself how to play jazz bass. He even started a group called "Música Urbana" and recorded two albums with them. He became famous for creating a new way to play the electric bass, called "Flamenco style." He used a special technique with a pick to create a sound similar to a traditional flamenco guitar.
He often played a fretless bass. This type of bass guitar does not have metal strips (frets) on the neck. This allows for a smooth, sliding sound, which was very new in flamenco music at the time. Carles was one of the first to use it this way.
One of his most famous performances was a duet with the legendary guitarist Paco de Lucía. This song, "Monasterio De Sal," showed off Carles's special playing style. His playing on another song, "Chanela," reminded many people of the great jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius.
Working with Music Legends
Carles Benavent has worked with many famous musicians. He played with Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and Paco de Lucía. He and Paco de Lucía played together for 25 years, creating amazing music.
A Challenge and a Comeback
In 1995, Carles had an accident that affected his left arm. This made him think about his future in music. However, he recovered well and continued his career. After performing at the Jazz Festival of Getxo, he recorded an album called Fénix.
Carles is still a very popular musician. His unique playing style, musical feeling, and rhythm make him highly sought after for live shows and recording sessions.
Carles's Bass Guitars
Carles Benavent plays custom-made bass guitars by Jerzy Drozd. These are called "Barcelona" type basses. He uses both 4-string and 5-string versions.
What's special about his 5-string bass is that it has a high C string instead of the usual low B string. This means it sounds higher, more like a guitar. He uses this to play chords and create a unique "piccolo bass" sound.
- Màquina! - En Directo (1972)
- Música Urbana - Música Urbana (1976)
- Música Urbana - Iberia (1978)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Sólo quiero caminar (1981)
- Chick Corea - Touchstone (1982)
- Chick Corea - Again and Again (1983)
- Camarón de la Isla - Calle Real (1983)
- Camarón de la Isla - Viviré (1984)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Live... One Summer Night (1984)
- Camarón de la Isla - Soy Gitano (1989)
- Carmen Linares - La luna en el río (1991)
- Camarón de la Isla - Potro de Rabia y Miel (1992)
- Paco de Lucía Sextet - Live in América (1993)
- Diego Carrasco - Voz de referencia (1993)
- Nguyên Lê - Bakida (2000)
- Carles Benavent & Josemi Carmona - Sumando (2006)
- Chick Corea - The Ultimate Adventure (2006)
- Quartet (2009, bebyne records)
- Un, Dos, Tres... (2011, bebyne records)
- Iñaki Sandoval - Electric Trio Live (bebyne records, 2015)
See also
In Spanish: Carles Benavent para niños
