The John Benitez Light Trio

The John Benitez Light Trio

Grammy award-winning bassist John Benitez brings his mastery to our bandstand in a rare, acoustic, percussion-free setting that promises to be a musical treat!

Born in Rio Piedras Puerto Rico, John started playing gospel music in church at the age of thirteen. Already a gifted musician, John began his formal education at "Escuela Libre de Musica" followed by study at the University of Puerto Rico and later the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music with master bassist Federico Silva. By age nineteen, John was the first-call bassist in San Juan's thriving Jazz and Latin music scenes. He performed with, among others, such well-known artists as Chick Corea, Lucecita Benitez, Batacumbele, Lalo Rodriguez, Cuco Peña, Roberto Roena, and Justo Betancourt. 

In 1993, John move to New York and attended the City College of New York, where he studied with the legendary acoustic bassist, Ron Carter and later with the contra bass guitarist Anthony Jackson. His education, however, was not limited to formal classroom study. John learned on the bandstand performing with some of the finest Jazz and Latin musicians including, Wynton Marsalis, Tito Puente, Michele Camilo, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Bobby Watson, David Sanchez, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, Danilo Perez, Kenny Kirkland, Will Calhoun, Vinny Valentino, Chucho Valdez, Don Pullen, Dave Samuels, and Mongo Santamaria. 

John was chosen by the United States Information Agency and the Kennedy Center to represent the United States as a Jazz Ambassador on a tour of South America, and is a Professor of Music at the Manhattan School of Music.

Although John is extremely fluid in the jazz idiom, he excels at interpreting the rhythms and styles of his native Afro-Caribbean region and the entire Pan American music book. As he puts it himself, "For me it's all the same, one great dance music, all the Caribbean, South America and New Orleans are but an extension of African music, music with that special bounce. That's what I like the most." John Benitez, an excellent example of a true musician, an educator, artist, gentleman and a spiritual human being.

John Benitez, bass
Eric Stern, piano
Chris Ferrari, saxophone