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Portraits of the Dead Complete: 1995​-​2022

by Joseph Benzola

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1.
2.
Lester Bowie 11:55
3.
Charles Ives 04:22
4.
5.
Cecil Taylor 06:41
6.
7.
John Cage 08:21
8.
9.
Padre Pio 02:17
10.
D.T. Suzuki 06:40
11.
12.
13.
14.
Joe Zawinul 07:32
15.
Sun Ra 08:44
16.
Frank Zappa 01:27
17.
Rashied Ali 04:05
18.
19.
20.
Don Cherry 05:06
21.
Derek Bailey 04:30
22.
23.
Miles Davis 04:33
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.

about

"The second half of this CD is probably some of the most interesting 45 minutes of music you will ever
hear. It features eight of Benzola's homages "Portraits of the Dead," to his musical heroes and influences.
These include Kurt Cobain and Jaco Pastorius ("Kurt and Jaco are dancing in Heaven", a riveting piece
heavily influenced by Tibetan religion and instrumentation), Sun Ra, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, John
Cage, Albert Ayler and Ed Blackwell, Edgar Varese, and Thelonious Monk....If you can possibly imagine LaMonte Young writing
music for Cecil Taylor performed by a Tibetan drum orchestra, you will have some idea of this music.
Some have tried to label this as "Free Jazz Psychedelic" but don't get tripped up on this. To do that will
cause you to miss out on some extraordinarily mind expanding listening."
Philip Egert; Drimala Records

" Between 1995 and 1998, JOSEPH BENZOLA, a percussionist and
electroacoustician, released four cassettes on his own record label, Amanita
Music. He recently re-released them on CD. The Sound of One Hand Clapping
is his latest effort. The first half of the record is the title track, an
eight-part suite for percussion. This very introspective work becomes almost
tantric at times. Follows "Portraits of the Dead" a series of eight pieces
written as tributes to some of the greatest composers of left this world.
"Tributees" include Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, John Cage, Edgar Varese and
Thelonious Monk, but the best work is the dedication to Sun Ra. Benzola
really captured the essence of Sun Ra's magic and managed to make it his,
turning what could have been a simple rip-off imitation into a true
tribute. Bravo." François Couture; Réalisateur de Délire Musical et Délire Actuel,
CFLX.

"Portraits of the Dead," the second suite (comprising the
subsequent eight tracks), pays homage to a wide array of radical musical
innovators, from Kurt Cobain to Sun Ra to Frank Zappa to John Cage to
Thelonious Monk. As with the "Jingo" riff, each "Portrait" is referential
without being derivative. "Kurt and Jaco are Dancing in Heaven" begins
with distortion reminiscent of the intro to Nirvana's "Breed," but then
electronica clanging and droning take over. Benzola merely invokes one
element of Nirvana's sound, fusing it into his own aesthetic. The Sun Ra
tribute sounds appropriately cosmic, while the Zappa tribute is
appropriately short and cacophonous. Perhaps the most successful
"Portrait" from an avant-garde sense is the John Cage tribute, which
sounds haunting and discordant, like the "Jaws" theme pounded out on piano
strings. Delire Actuel Radio listed "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" as
one of the Top 100 avant-garde Releases of 1999--appropriately
Bill Baue; Valley Advocate


"Talented percussionist, Joseph Benzola, delivers extraordinary compositions in a variety of styles
which embody the true sense of musical exploration and experimentation. His compositions are
not only rhythmically complex but are also harmonically intricate. Especially intriguing are his
"Portraits of the Dead" compositions which pay tribute to the masters of creative music (Cage,
Zappa, Monk). Well worth a thoughtful listen."
Damian Hagger; The Cadence Mp3.com

"…Opening with the multi-tracked tribute to Lester Bowie, Benzola's combination of harmonica,
taragato, percussion, kalimba, bells, gongs, shakers, toys, and little instruments evokes the creative
playful spirit of the Art ensemble of Chicago."
David Lewis- Cadence Magazine

credits

released March 12, 2019

All compositions and instruments by Joseph Benzola. All compositions recorded from 1995-2019.

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about

Joseph Benzola New York, New York

Acoustic and Electro-Acoustic Composer and Creative Improviser. Played in the small and big bands of Makanda Ken McIntyre in the mid 1980's. Have released many solo albums since the early 1990's on my Amanita Music label. Currently involved in further development of my solo improvised language. ... more

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