Bassist John Bentiez has been an essential part of New York’s Latin Jazz scene for the past couple of decades. He has anchored a number of projects, working with Latin Jazz luminaries such as Eddie Palmieri, Papo Vazquez, David Sanchez, Mongo Santamaria, and many more. In addition to recording and touring with an all-star list of Latin Jazz musicians, he recorded his own album Descarga In New York with his trio in 2001. His impeccable time feel, broad knowledge of Latin styles, and jazz background have kept him in high demand. Looking through the body of his work, his well-tuned abilities as a soloist leap to the forefront.

Benitez’s solo on “Slowvisor” from the Eddie Palmieri album Palmas provides a perfect picture of his ability to tap into the essential rhythmic language of Afro-Cuban music while keeping a bluesy sense of melody. The song plays like an extended blues form in the key of C, moving over a funky cha cha cha. Benitez only takes one chorus, but he makes every note count. He follows solos from a heavy wind section that includes Conrad Herwig, Brian Lynch, and Donald Harrison and he’s got plenty of support from a rhythm section that includes Palmieri and drummer Robbie Ameen. The combination of all these elements makes for a memorable solo within an already powerful track.

Some Points of Interest:
* The Use of Sequences Through Scales
Benitez starts his solo with a series of thirds descending through the scale. He spends two full measures taking the pattern through a descending series of notes. The line adds a sense of fluidity to the overall phrase, declaring a distinct melodic slant to Benitez’s approach. The tension of the descending line combined with the triplets immediately lets the listener know that Benitez means business. Notice that he resolves the line with an eighth note melody that ends on a clave attack.

*Use of Double Stops
In measures 15 & 16, Benitez breaks away from single-note lines and includes some double stops. Integrating double stops into a bass solo adds some power to the line and allows Benitez to reinforce his rhythmic momentum. Notice that he doesn’t just hit one double stop as an accent - he plays a whole phrase in double stops. He moves the double stops through the scale, alternating between an interval of a fourth and a fifth. This presents many challenges such as intonation and right hand plucking, but Benitez handles it like a pro.

*Use of Range Displacement to Emphasize Rhythms
In measures 17 - 19, Benitez includes some extreme range differences that add rhythmic propulsion to his line. This stands as a widely used tool for the improvising Latin bassist, being used often by musicians such as Cachao and Andy Gonzalez. It allows him to emphasize certain pieces of the rhythm while maintaining a constant rhythmic pulse.

Make sure that you check out the recorded version of “Slowvisor” on Eddie Palmieri’s Palmas to fully capture the spirit of Benitez’s solo. He’s got a feel that simply pushes the solo forward - that needs to be heard in order to recreate it! Some of his licks are classic rhythmic and melodic figures that you should pull apart and insert into your repertoire. The solo may be short, but there’s a lot of meat in there - take some time to study this one! I’ve included links to transposed versions below - enjoy!

John Benitez “Slowvisor” Solo (C)
John Benitez “Slowvisor” Solo (Bb)
John Benitez “Slowvisor” Solo (Eb)

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Check Out These Related Posts:
Carlos Del Puerto Bass Solo on “Chucho”
Cachao Bass Solo on “Descarga Cubana”
Jerry Gonzalez Trumpet Solo on “Obsesion”
5 Latin Jazz Bass Players That You Must Hear!

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