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Bassist with Miles Davis and Carlos Santana speaks to T.L. Mazumdar
Born to immigrant parents in the Netherlands before migrating to the US as an infant, Benny Rietveld left his native home of Hawaii in early adulthood be 'raised again in San Francisco and New York, (currently residing in Los Angeles)'. During which he went on to build a career possibly unparalleled in the manner it acts as a common thread between artists as iconic and diverse as Miles Davis, Carlos Santana (with whom he's been MD for over a decade), Sheila E, The Crusaders, amidst many others.
In this long-form, vulnerable conversation, the 8 x Grammy Award winner shares humbling insights into the bigger picture behind playing music, his education on the job, the future of online education, and keeping the true fire of it all alive amidst the ever-changing landscape of the music industry.
This episode is brought to you by:
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
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Bassist/Composer/MD Santana Band
Bassist Benny Rietveld brings an impressive resume with him. After moving to Hawaii from his native Utrecht, the Netherlands, he attended the University of Hawaii College of Music for two years. Island dates with artists such as The Crusaders, Richie Cole, Barney Kessell, Howard Roberts, Bill Mays, and Makoto Ozone followed, until he moved to San Francisco in 1983. He joined up with Sheila E.’s 1984 tour, who was then opening for Prince on the “Purple Rain” tour. Dates with Huey Lewis and the News followed that. He then signed on with Miles Davis for his 1988 World Tour, as well as working with Davis and Michel LeGrand on a Warner Bros. soundtrack.
Recently, Benny has released an album entitled “Mystery of Faith”. The album can be described as “odd, eclectic, yet eminently listenable music.” The CD, his first solo effort, also includes performances by Carlos Santana, Tom Coster, Barbara Higbie and other friends. The mostly instrumental collection will take you from the Middle East to Middle Earth, with various stops in between. To learn more about Benny Rietveld or to listen to excerpts from “Mystery of Faith”, visit him at bennyworld.com.