Official Hello-Joseph Benzola

jbenzola · Joined: Dec 11, 2003 Posts: 77 Location: NY

Hello to all fellow sonic explorers:

My name is Joseph Benzola. I am a composer/percussionist/pianist/electronic musician residing in NY. Jeff Harrington told me about this site and I promptly signed up. I am involved in creative improvised music and have been very influenced byMississippi Delta Blues, Coltrane, Miles, The AACM, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Monk, Mingus, Lamonte Young, Varese, Xenakis, Cage,Feldman, Ashley, Stockhausen, and many, many others which would take too long to mention! I have also been extremely influenced by the musics of Southern India, sub saharan Africa, and Bali. My music is a combination of these influences melded together to hopefully forge a "new" vocabulary. I am very interested in the merging of electronic and acoustic textures and instruments together. My music is highly rhythmic and texture oriented which many people find a bit off putting Laughing

I have played in a wide variety of situations including Bo Diddley, jr. (Yes...he exists) and Makanda Ken McIntyre. I have been running a small independent label (dedicated to my music!) called Amanita Music. In the last 13 years I have released 7 titles, not many but I believe in quality over quanity! I have had an internet presence for over 10 years but at this time, I am a bit down on the whole online music scene for many different reasons. I no longer have an official Amanita Music site, my mp3.com site has gone the way of the west winds but I do maintain some music at the following:

www.electronicscene.com/jbenzola

I have some recent solo music there plus some live solo performances plus my trio Crippled Symmetry (Doug Kolmer-guitar and electronics, John Asta, acoustric & electronic percussion, Joseph Benzola; drums, percussion, electronics, bamboo flute, shenai, whistles, gongs, piano). There is a recording of our piece "Ritual in Four Parts" available.

I look forward to chating and listening to everyones music and ideas!

elektro80 · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 11:44 am Post subject:

Welcome , Joseph. I have already been over at your page at land istened to your music. Excellent stuff. I like the lot.

jeff harrington · Joined: Nov 08, 2003 Posts: 84 Location: Brooklyn

I've known Joe and his amazing music for years and we've been drinking buddies (like once a month often with earshot) for the past few years. His music has a quality I haven't found in many other musician's work - that of being improvisatory in feeling while never seeming to wander. He achieves this through a number of methods, most notably his amazing talent to produce directed motion with unusual colors and his phenomenal musicianship. His music is truly remarkable and original and somehow never bores me.

mnml · Joined: Dec 07, 2003 Posts: 34

Wow, I heard your stuff on mp3.com (remember that???) a few years ago and was really impressed! Glad to hear you're still kicking around.

seraph · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 1:13 am Post subject:

Hi Joseph
I am listening to your music. COOL! I like it, good job Very Happy

I see that your trio is called Crippled Symmetry, so welcoming you I inform you that (being the official links editor here) there is a thread you could find interesting (actually the interesting ones are many):

Symmetry as a Compositional Determinant

I hope you enjoy this forum Very Happy

ciao for now Exclamation

jbenzola · Joined: Dec 11, 2003 Posts: 77 Location: NY

Thanks to all for this warm welcome! Jeff...you're going to make me cry... Crying or Very sad

I look forward to a long and rewarding membership and I can't wait to start listening to everyones music.

elektro80 · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:58 pm Post subject:

( this post died because my ADSL connection died when I was about to post it some hours ago. It was meant as a follow top Jeffs post )

I hope to get the chance to hear more of his music. Great to hear the voice of Ginsberg on that track. I produced a song by the norwegian progressive new wave band "Manifest" years ago.. and they had Ginbsberg and Orlovsky over for the vocal tracks. Great fun.

AgentA · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:03 pm Post subject:

Howdy Joseph,
Cool to see you around these parts.
No doubt you found yourself in good company here.
Good discussions which will welcome your input I'm sure.

7/4 · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 2:48 pm Post subject:

I'm new here, but I've heard Joes music before: great stuff! Razz