Michel Benita
Michel Benita (born 1954 in Algiers, Algeria) is a double bass player, prominent in jazz music since the 1980s. Benita moved to Paris in the early 1980s, performing extensively in local jazz clubs and concert venues alongside visiting players, expatriates, and local musicians. In 1986 he was invited to join the inaugural line-up of the Orchestre National de Jazz, under the direction of François Jeanneau.
Michel Benita
gianky · Michel Benita · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Michel Benita
- Born
- 29 July 1954
- Birthplace
- Algiers, Algeria
- Occupation
- Musician, bandleader, composer
- Nationality
- France
- Fields
- jazz
- Honours
- Officer of Arts and Letters
- Languages
- French
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Michel Benita (born 1954 in Algiers, Algeria) is a double bass player, prominent in jazz music since the 1980s. Benita moved to Paris in the early 1980s, performing extensively in local jazz clubs and concert venues alongside visiting players, expatriates, and local musicians. In 1986 he was invited to join the inaugural line-up of the Orchestre National de Jazz, under the direction of François Jeanneau.
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wikidata · Q1748194 · wikipedia · Michel Benita
In this article
Biography
Biography
During his career Benita has worked with Aldo Romano, Marc Ducret, Horace Parlan, Martial Solal, Lee Konitz, Andy Sheppard, Dino Saluzzi, Dewey Redman, Erik Truffaz and Archie Shepp, among many others. He formed the ELB trio in 1999 with Vietnamese guitar player Nguyên Lê and American drummer Peter Erskine. In recent years Benita has been closely associated with ECM Records, releasing a number of albums as leader but also as a sideman for saxophonist, Andy Sheppard.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Michel Benita • Born — 29 July 1954 • Birthplace — Algiers, Algeria • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, bandleader, composer • Instrument — Double bass • Label — ECM Records, Label Bleu, ACT Music • Website — https: michelbenita.com/
Identity
Identity
Michel Benita is recorded with the occupation double-bassist. Recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Classed in the genre jazz. Recorded as composer, double-bassist and musician.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1954
Michel Benita was born on 29 July 1954.
Discography
• Preferences (Label Bleu, 1990) • Soul (Label Bleu, 1993) • The Woman Next Door (Label Bleu, 1998) • ELB (ACT, 2004) • Drastic (BHM Productions, 2006) • Dream Flight (ACT, 2008) • Ramblin' (Blu Jazz, 2008) • Un Soir au Club (Le Chant du Monde, 2010) • Ethics (Zig Zag, 2010) • River Silver (ECM, 2016) • Looking at Sounds (ECM, 2020) With Andy Sheppard • Trio Libero (ECM, 2012) • Surrounded by Sea (ECM, 2015) • Romaria (ECM, 2018)
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Michel Benita”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1748194: Michel Benita
General reference · Wikidata
Awards
• Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2015)
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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