| Max Bennett | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Date: | 24 May 1928 |
| Birth Place: | Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Death Place: | San Clemente, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Session musician |
| Instrument: | Bass guitar, double bass |
| Years Active: | 1949–2018 |
| Label: | – |
| Associated Acts: | L.A. Express |
Max Bennett (May 24, 1928 – September 14, 2018) was an American jazz bassist and session musician.
Bennett grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and Oskaloosa, Iowa, and went to college in Iowa.
Bennett's first professional gig was with Herbie Fields in 1949, and following this he played with Georgie Auld, Terry Gibbs, and Charlie Ventura. He served in the Army during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, and then played with Stan Kenton before moving to Los Angeles. There he played regularly at the Lighthouse Cafe with his own ensemble, and played behind such vocalists as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez [Elkie Brooks ] through the 1970s.[1] He also recorded with Charlie Mariano, Conte Candoli, Bob Cooper, Bill Holman, Stan Levey, Lou Levy, Coleman Hawkins and Jack Montrose.
Bennett recorded under his own name from the late 1950s and did extensive work as a composer and studio musician in addition to jazz playing. Often associated with The Wrecking Crew, he performed on many records by The Monkees and The Partridge Family.
In 1969, Bennett served as the principal bassist for Frank Zappa's Hot Rats project.[1] According to Bennett, "I was not familiar with Zappa’s music. Our paths never crossed. I was never a big fan of avant garde music in that sense. It was while I was working in the studio, what was it, 1967 [''sic''], I think? And I got a call from John Guerin. He said, ‘Get your stuff over to TTG’—that was in Hollywood—‘I got a double session for you with Frank Zappa.’ So we get there and we worked two double sessions for two nights. And that was the album, that was Hot Rats.” He also played on subsequent Zappa albums such as Chunga's Revenge.[2]
His studio work also included bass on the 1969 Lalo Schifrin soundtrack to the 1968 film Bullitt as well as Greatest Science Fiction Hits Volumes 1-3 with Neil Norman & His Cosmic Orchestra.
In 1973, Guerin and Bennett joined Tom Scott's L.A. Express alongside Joe Sample and Larry Carlton.[3] After recording their eponymous debut album, the jazz fusion quintet served as the core band for Mitchell's Court and Spark (1974).[3] A subsequent iteration of the group (including guitarist Robben Ford and pianist Larry Nash) backed Mitchell on the live Miles of Aisles (1974)[3] and recorded two smooth jazz albums for Caribou Records following Scott's departure in 1976. After the band's dissolution, Bennett formed his own group, Freeway. He continued to perform with his last group, Private Reserve, until his death in 2018.[4] [2]
With Hoyt Axton
With Joan Baez
With Stephen Bishop
With Bobby Bland
With David Blue
With Terence Boylan
With Elkie Brooks
With Vikki Carr
With Keith Carradine
With Ry Cooder
With Bob Cooper
With England Dan & John Ford Coley
With Bobby Darin
With The 5th Dimension
With Don Everly
With José Feliciano
With Michael Franks
With Art Garfunkel
With Bobbie Gentry
With Cyndi Grecco
With Henry Gross
With Arlo Guthrie
With George Harrison
With Johnny Hartman
With Jack Jones
With Barbara Keith
With Stan Kenton
With Bill LaBounty
With Peggy Lee
With Lori Lieberman
With Lulu
With Barry Mann
With Bette Midler
With Joni Mitchell
With The Monkees
With Jack Montrose
With Walter Murphy
With Michael Nesmith
With Wayne Newton
With Jack Nitzsche
With Kenny Nolan
With Tom Pacheco
With Austin Roberts
With Howard Roberts
With Buffy Sainte-Marie
With Lalo Schifrin
With O. C. Smith
With Otis Spann
With Suzanne Stevens
With Barbra Streisand
With Jim Sullivan
With Gábor Szabó and Bob Thiele
With Valdy
With Frank Zappa
TV, film and motion picture soundtracks written by: