Michel Benita

Michel Benita, a Paris-based bassist, composer, vocalist, and bandleader, entered the international jazz circuit during the late 1970s. His approach features a nearly poetic light touch, melodic compositions, and exotic arrangements, marking him as an experimentalist attentive to rich, detailed harmony. After launching his professional work in Patrick Martin's band Patric, he quickly became a sought-after studio and touring sideman for numerous bandleaders such as Horace Parlan, Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp, Joe Lovano, and Bobo Stenson. As leader or co-leader he has helmed or shared credit on more than 25 albums, among them 1987's La Théorie Du Pilier with Marc Ducret and 1999's Lower the Walls. For several years he joined Erik Truffaz starting with the 2001 release Mantis, and in 2004 he collaborated with Peter Erskine and Nguyên Lê on ELB. His ECM debut occurred as a member of saxophonist Andy Sheppard's Trio Libero in 2012; his first leader date for the label arrived in 2016 with River Silver, fronting the long-running quintet Ethics.

Born in Algeria, Benita began musical studies there as a guitarist drawn to Bert Jansch and folk traditions before switching to bass upon discovering jazz. His initial studio appearance came in 1977 as part of the psychedelic jazz-rock and electronic group Patricon on their Betiari album, where he remained through 1979.

After moving to Paris in 1981 he promptly entered studio sessions, appearing on recordings by Doudou Gouirand, Antoine Herve, and Marc Ducret. His leader debut arrived in 1990 with Preferences on Label Bleu, featuring saxophonist Dewey Redman, pianist Rita Marcotulli, and drummer Aldo Romano. Following joint projects with Marcotulli, Paolo Fresu, and others, he released the 1993 follow-up Soul, which drew notice in the jazz press for its broad musical scope and its version of Gerry Goffin's and Carole King's "Natural Woman." He began working with saxophonist Andy Sheppard in 1999 on Lower the Walls.

Entering the new century, Benita became a member of experimental trumpeter and composer Erik Truffaz's band, performing on Blue Note albums Mantis (2001), Saloua (2005), and Face-À-Face (2006).

Under his own name he issued Drastic in 2005, the first album to highlight his songwriting and singing; he performed on an array of instruments with assistance from oudist Dhafer Youssef, trumpeter Nils-Petter Molvær, and vocalist Stephanie McKay.

During his time with Truffaz, Benita formed a partnership with guitarist Manu Codjia that yielded the 2008 duet album Ramblin'. That same year he joined Peter Erskine, Nguyên Lê, and Stephane Guillaume for the ACT Records release Dream Flight.

In 2010 he founded the quintet Ethics, whose members included flügelhornist Matthieu Michel, guitarist Eivind Aarset, drummer Philippe Garcia, and koto master Mieko Miyazaki; the group made its recording debut that year on Zig Zag Territoires. In 2012 he again supported Sheppard on the saxophonist's Trio Libero album alongside drummer Sebastian Rochford, initiating Benita's association with ECM Records. He also participated in Sheppard's quartet for 2015's Surrounded by the Sea and its accompanying tour. Ethics joined ECM the same year and recorded River Silver, produced by Manfred Eicher and issued in early 2016.

In late summer 2020 Benita returned to ECM with Looking At Sounds, featuring a new electro-acoustic quartet that included flugelhornist Matthieu Michel, Fender Rhodes pianist and electronicist Jozef Doumolin, and drummer/electronicist Philippe Garcia; alongside bass he employed a laptop. The set, recorded in France in March 2019 and produced by Steve Lake, appeared under his leadership.