New message from Richard Bennett

[allen]

(11 SEPT 2009)
I looked at this front page and was shocked to see the last time I up-dated it was in mid-March! Amazing how six months can get away from you. Actually, some people have written wondering if everything was alright and my wife has gently suggested that I should peck out a few new words. I think I just got caught up in summer and am only now getting back on task. So.....

All has been wonderful and I hope the same goes for anyone reading this. We had a great two weeks on the Gulf of Mexico, our usual summer holiday spot, kicking sand, swimming, etc. A couple of weeks after we returned we loaded up the the big truck again and moved our youngest son into an apartment to begin his junior year at university. Over the years, combined with our other children, this was our 11th such load in/out and hard to believe that after next year, it will be the last....we hope....though it is a tradition I'm sure we'll miss down the road. I've been giving the old Weber BBQ kettle a good workout as well as trying out some new indoor vegetable recipes....Eggplant Parmesan and Squash au Gratin. We've successfully grown loads of tomatoes this year and never have a shortage of fresh basil. There's nothing that says summer like tomatoes and basil. I've also improvised a stout stir-fry of fresh green beans, chicken, loads of fresh ginger and garlic, shredded carrots, onions, hot chilis, soy and vodka!!

Another great part of this summer has been spectator sport, watching the evolution of The Zut Alors first album. For those who may not know, that's my son Nick Bennett's group. He does the majority of the writing and singing as well as the guitar work along with various odds and ends. He's been recording it here at the house and various studios round town and it sounds fantastic. The songs are smart, melodic pop music and it makes me wonder why in the hell I couldn't think of melodies or guitar parts like that? The Nashville Scene, our local arts/politics/what's happening weekly, said last month, " 'The Killing Kind' (a song from their album) is one of the best tracks to emerge from Nashville in 2009." The Zut Alors record is nearly complete, but in the meantime he's released an EP and you can hear some of that music at myspace.com/thezutalors

Things have been busy in the studio again and this month I have committed to some live gigs round Nashville with various folks. The first has already taken place, a CD release show for my friend Kieran Kane's new CD Somewhere Beyond The Roses. I love this record and am tremendously proud to be part of it. A couple of people who were at the show took videos of two of the songs and posted them on You Tube. They're not tip-top quality, but you'll get a good idea of what we were up to if you go to these links: youtube.com/watch?v=GAzWkboeurI and youtube.com/watch?v=2iZhGyFZ9B0.

I'll be playing two shows this week with The Sweethearts of the Rodeo who have just finished a brand new record that I played on. The end of the month finds me with my pal Dave Peterson playing a show here in town at the International Bluegrass Music Association convention. The IBMA is bluegrass music's big event of the year and it will be the first time I've participated in it. While Dave is very well known in bluegrass music circles, it will be the straight country thing that we will be doing from his album Coming On Strong.

Mark Knopfler's new record, Get Lucky has just come out and I think it's great, really honoured to be on it. Of course I think they all are and am probably a little biased. I'm already looking ahead to next year when we'll all get together, dust off a few tunes and take to the road again. As for my own record, I have managed to drag myself in a few times over the last six months and do some recording for myself. I'm really down to the homestretch now and only have one more song to do. I had a meeting yesterday with an art director for the packaging so it really feels like the last threads are pulling together. I anticipate it being released next February.

We were heading in to spring when I wrote last and now we're staring at autumn. I promise not to leave this page so long again.

Cheers,

Richard

Nashville, Tennessee

[dylan c.]

richard, we love you.  looking forward to seeing you guys soon.
d.

[draad]

I've said it before and I'll say it again! He writes so well - you just know when you read his posts that he is a thouroughly decent guy.

[Pottel]

whoops, another one we all seemed to have missed:
Hello all,

Thanksgiving in the States has come and gone and we're on the fast track to Christmas. I can't believe how quickly this year has sped by. It's been a very busy autumn with various recording projects. One of particular note was the beginning of an album with Canadian folk singer and songwriter Dave Francey. Wonderful songs and this guy can really sing, the kind of a voice that a microphone loves. Our mutual friend Kieran Kane is producing and playing on it as well. Recorded in a similar way to Kieran's record I mentioned earlier in the year, completely live with Kieran and I handling the guitar duties, Fats Kaplan on fiddle and Lucas Kane on percussion. When the take is over....that's it! Great stuff.

I'm off to London for a week of recording with Delta Maid, a cool, rootsy female singer and songwriter signed to Geffen Records. I'll spend the week before Christmas in Old Blighty then back in time for the holiday. Great way to end the year.

This past month I put a serious push to finish my record and I'm pleased to say...it is done and I'm very pleased with how it's sounding. We're looking at a February 2010 release and I'll keep you posted right here on the web-site.

There is a wonderful radio show that originates from Nashville called "The Guitar Show" with Andy Ellis. Two hours weekly of all kinds of interesting guitar music and interviews with great players both above and under the radar. He interviewed me several weeks ago and seems like we talked for hours. The show has aired and is now archived on line at www.theguitarshow.com. Scroll down to the bottom of the Interviews page and click on my name. Along the way you will see plenty of those who are above the radar that will interest you. The program streams live at this site as well and is well worth your time.

I had the most ridiculous accident the day before Thanksgiving. My wife and I decided to get as much stuff prepped as we could before the big day. My job was to roast, peel and mash the sweet potatoes. After an hour in the oven I took them out and tested each with a long bamboo skewer, the kind you use for shish-kabob. When I was satisfied they were all sufficiently done, I put the end of the skewer between my teeth while I grabbed a knife to slit the potatoes open. I took hold of the first potato, burnt my fingers and drew my hand back very suddenly impaling it on the pointed end of the skewer, simultaneously ramming the end that was in my teeth into the back of my throat. After the bleeding stopped I looked up in there with a flashlight. Pretty sore but didn't look all that bad, so I went on with things until mid-day when I could no longer swallow. Got out the flashlight again and it all looked like a bad B-movie in there. Off to the doc. After he shook his head at my stupidity he took a look at it. I am not kidding when I say he gasped. Not what you want to hear from your sawbones. He determined there were no bits of the skewer left in the wound, gave me a tetanus shot, antibiotics and something for the swelling and sent me packing. Needless to say, my Thanksgiving dinner consisted of only the mushiest of side items which included the sweet potatoes that started the whole thing. As of today, the throat's still sore but on the mend. The upshot being: never, EVER put a skewer in your mouth. As I flounder round the final months of my fifth decade you would think I'd have already learned that. Still, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving and we have much to thank our lucky stars for and hope the same for you.

Richard

Nashville, Tennessee

(30 NOV 2009)

[dustyvalentino]

Cool stuff Pottel, can't wait to hear that interview.

[Pottel]

just heard it. short though..
the knopfler interview is good too.

[Pottel]

and yet another one...
Richards' seems to be getting busy :-)

23 DEC 2009)

The holidays are well upon us and I want to take this opportunity to wish every one of you a warm, peaceful Christmas and the best of everything in the coming year.

I've just returned from London where I was recording all last week on a project for an artist named Delta Maid. Delta's signed to Geffen Records in the U.K. and is a young singer and song writer from Liverpool with a serious ear to American roots music of the 20s through the 60s. It was a joy to work with her and producers Craig and Cassell Leon. While the record is now nearly finished, it will not be released until late summer or early autumn of 2010 and then probably only in the U.K. Should be available stateside via Amazon.com.uk. Good catching up with friends in London after work for a few pints and some great dinners. We were coincidentally recording at British Grove Studio where we record Mark Knopfler's albums so it was like old home week seeing the crew and castaways of that wonderful recording facility.

Returning home to Nashville was a harrowing experience. We sat in the plane on the tarmac at Gatwick Airport in London for nearly 2 hours waiting for the plane to be de-iced before take off. Once we finally got off the ground it was an 8 and a half hour flight to the States, of course we arrived nearly 2 hours late and I missed my connection and had to hang round the Charlotte airport for another 4 hours until the next flight to Nashville departed. It was late when I arrived home at last. Still, I did get home, which is more than I can say for many travelling this holiday season.

I managed to squeeze one last recording session in this week before things finally wind down into Christmas and the new year. I'm looking forward to touring with Mark Knopfler next year as well as the release in February of my new record Valley Of The Sun.

Until the next time, here's to 2010,

Richard

Nashville, Tennessee

[Hoops McCann]

Looks like he got a taste of what it's like to fly anywhere in America. It's always a nightmare.

[Pottel]

and now his whole site has gotten a refresh
and a new message:
http://www.richard-bennett.com/
(9 MAR 2010)

Greetings from London,

I arrived several days ago and have begun rehearsals for the up-coming Get Lucky Tour with Mark Knopfler. Today was just our second day back together since we recorded the album, but the band already sounds amazing. This is going to be a great show and tour, everyone in top shape and playing like demons.

Thanks to you all for the enthusiastic response to the new website, so many have sent notes commenting on how up-beat it looks and the ease of getting around on it. Also, the response to the new album has been wonderful, it is flying off the shelves at CD Baby. If you've heard the new record and would care to review it, either good or bad, go to cdbaby.com to do so. At the bottom of that page will be a link and your comments will be posted along with the others on that page. CD Baby likes and encourages that interaction and what makes them happy makes me happy.

My friend Henk Quintelier of Belgium conducted an in depth interview with me regarding my life and career for his website and I think it's a very good piece. If you're interested, this link will take you directly there.

Spring is just round the corner now. Back in Nashville it is sunny and in the high 60's and it's even sunny here in London, though not that warm. We'll all be working hard for the next few weeks, but not so hard that we won't hoist a pint or two at the end of the day.

Cheers,

Richard

[dustyvalentino]

From Roseanne cash on Twitter:

http://plixi.com/p/76044709

[Tally]

There's a new message from Richard. He's taking a guitar class 

"Here's to 2011
05-Feb-2011
Hi all,

The requests have been pouring in for me to update this page. Well, not exactly pouring, more like two...my wife and a friend from England. It has been a while and I can't really account for the time except we had good holidays and more snow on the ground this winter than I can ever recall. The schools were closed five days in a row. Now, Nashville doesn't get the kind of cold and snow like folks north and east of us do, but it takes only an inch to shut this city down. Every resident makes a headlong dash to the supermarket to stock up on white goods...milk, bread and toilet paper. On the way home they find the nearest substantial tree and drive straight in to it. Anyway, we've had plenty of it this winter. Being raised out west my blood's pretty thin and if it never gets below 70 degrees again, it would be just fine for me.

Lots of the usual going on, recording projects and slowly puttering my way through my own new record. What's really exciting is the release of my son's first album with his band The Zut Alors. Smart, modern and melodic pop music. Check it out at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ZutAlors. It's available as a download or nifty purple vinyl. Get one today.

I've begun a six week course at the Nashville Jazz Workshop taught by a fabulous guitar player named Mel Deal. It focuses on solo guitar playing, i.e. playing unaccompanied which isn't for the faint of heart. It's a tremendously challenging class but it has opened a few doors in my guitar education that have been closed far too long. Mel is a protege of the great Jimmy Raney who was one of the bebop guitar gods of the late 40s through the 50s. Raney was as good with a pen and his wit as he was a guitar player. I've included a wonderful piece that he wrote in the 90s after he'd left New York and moved back to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Here's wishing everyone health and peace in this new year.

So long,

Richard"

[draad]

Richard at guitar classes! That's both highly impressive and seriously deflating at the same time! So much to learn......

[Pottel]

new message today (and not a word about the MK recording):

Spring Edition 
22-Mar-2011 
After what seemed like an eternity of grey skies, cold weather and rain, Nashville is now sunny, dry and in the 70s as we step in to spring.  The grass is turning green again and the trees, while still bare, are loaded with leaf buds ready to burst.  We'll no doubt have our share of spring rain to come as well as being right in the middle of tornado alley this time of year, but the first warmth of 2011 couldn't come too soon.

It's been a little slow on the work front though am heading into the studio for another round with Kellie Pickler and will begin a new record with Pieta Brown the top of April.  Those who attended one of our U.S. shows of the 2010 Mark Knopfler tour know how talented and cool Pieta and Bo Ramsey are.  Bo will be on hand to play guitar and produce and I'm really looking forward to seeing them both again to make some music.

My slower schedule over the last few weeks has allowed me much needed time to practise a few new concepts learned in the jazz courses I've been taking.  Mel Deal, my guitar guru, mentioned that all the guys we hold dear were "complete players" of their respective instruments.  I know first hand what he's talking about having listened to so many of their records, seen some of them live and had the very good fortune to have worked shoulder to shoulder with many of the great musicians in Los Angeles in the late 60s forward.  I cannot claim mastery, but I'm a little more complete studying with Mel.

What I really want to bring to your attention is what both of my sons are doing musically.  Many of you are aware of Nick's music, guitar playing, song writing and various band projects which you can listen to here:

http://nudity.bandcamp.com/track/blame-waltz
http://theZutAlors.bandcamp.com

Our son Jeremy, a senior at University of Tennessee, draws from a different textures than either Nick or I.  He's an accomplished DJ, remix artist and has crafted a number of soundscapes from a stable of samples and organic sounds and instruments he's recorded himself.  If you go to this site it will come up as SAURuS -  that's him.  You'll also see an eclectic array of influences.  I really admire what he's done and you can hear some of Jeremy's work at Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/jjjeremy

Hope these next few weeks bring warmth, green and barbecues your way.

Richard
 

[draad]

I think it's v strange that there is no mention of MK's new album in Richard's note and that makes me feel this album is going to be something out of the ordinary. A solo album? It's all pure speculation - but that's what we do best isn't it?

[ds1984]

I think it's v strange that there is no mention of MK's new album in Richard's note and that makes me feel this album is going to be something out of the ordinary. A solo album? It's all pure speculation - but that's what we do best isn't it?

Or Mark will use trash polka muso for the next one and bye bye the 96's