Richard Bennett (guitarist)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Richard Bennett

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Img_capt = Performing on tour with Mark Knopfler
at the NAC in Ottawa, July 18, 2008
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Born = birth date and age|1951|7|22
in Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Instrument = guitar
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Genre = Rock, Country, Hawaiian, Jazz
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Associated_acts = Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler
URL = [http://www.richard-bennett.com/ Home Page]
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Richard Bennett is a noted touring sideman, session veteran, and record producer. As a touring sideman, he performed with Neil Diamond for 17 years, and Mark Knopfler since 1994. As a session player, he has worked with artists ranging from Billy Joel and Barbra Streisand to Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill. He has produced Grammy award winning artists like Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Marty Stuart.

Career Notes

*In February 1979, Columbia released another single from the previous year's Neil Diamond album "You Don't Bring Me Flowers", the up-tempo "Forever in Blue Jeans" (co-written by Richard Bennett), which reached the Top 20.

*Formed in the late '70s as Rodney Crowell's road band, The Notorious Cherry Bombs' original members include guitarists Vince Gill and Richard Bennett, keyboardist Tony Brown, steel guitarist Hank DeVito, drummer Larrie Londin and bassist Emory Gordy, Jr. With a modified lineup the musicians went to the studio in early 2004 to record "The Notorious Cherry Bombs", their first album as a band.

*From the liner notes of Richard's solo album, "Themes From A Rainy Decade", Mark Knopfler writes, "For almost ten years now I've felt very lucky having Richard Bennett as a pal and as a member of the band. His quiet, self-effacing manner hides an encyclopaedic knowledge of all kinds of roots and rock music, from Hillbilly to Hawaiian, played effortlessly on a variety of instruments which appear out of a flight case as big as an Airstream trailer...... May his cracking guitar playing find a place in your life as it has in mine."

*His stinging electric guitar kickoff to Emmylou Harris' "Heaven Only Knows" (from her Bennett-produced "Bluebird" album) was the first sound heard on the 2004 season-opening episode of The Sopranos. [ [http://www.tennessean.com/entertainment/music/archives/04/07/54523185.shtml Tennessean] ]

*Among many accomplished contributions to the 2007 album "American Standard" by Thelonious Moog, Richard has an out of body electric sitar excursion. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTVqOiSURiM Take 5, 6 & 7 The Long Version] ]

Personal

Bennett's brother is Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, the drummer for "Weird Al" Yankovic since 1980.

Discography

* "Themes From A Rainy Decade" (2004)
* "Code Red Cloud Nine" (2008)

Gallery

External links

: [http://www.richard-bennett.com/ Richard Bennett's personal site] : [http://www.mark-knopfler.net/frameset.html Mark Knopfler News] : [http://theloniousmoog.com/ Thelonious Moog] : [http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2770285650080234166gZaHYH Richard Bennett 6/25/06]

References

* [http://www.richard-bennett.com/bio.htm Richard Bennett's official biography]