David Benoit

David Benoit is an American jazz pianist, composer and bandleader who has had 21 releases on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart with 15 in the top 20 plus ten singles in the Smooth Jazz Songs Chart including three number ones. Born in California, he studied the piano, composition, film scoring and conducting and started his professional career as musical director for singers Lainie Kazan, Ann-Margret and Connie Stevens. He released his first album 'Heavier Than Yesterday' in 1977 and a few more before signing with the GRP label to release 'Freedom at Midnight' in 1987. He earned a Grammy Award nomination in 1988 for Best Jazz Fusion Performance for 'Every Step of the Way' and another for Best Instrumental Composition for 'Dad's Room' in 1999.

'Shaken Not Stirred' went to number 19 on Billboard's Jazz Albums Chart in 1994 and 'The Benoit/Freeman Project' with guitarist Russ Freeman reached number two that year also. 'The Best of David Benoit 1985-95' peaked at number 25 in 1995 and he's had a series of successful releases since. They include 'American Landscape' (1997) at number nine, 'Professional Dreamer' (1999) at number eleven and 'Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years' - a tribute to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz - which reached number five in 2000.

He has had eight singles on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs Chart including three number ones: 'Botswana Bossa Nova' (2011), 'Feelin' It' (2012) and 'Caminando' (2017). In 2017 the album 'So Nice' with guitarist Marc Antoine went to number four on the Jazz Albums Chart, '20th Anniversary Christmas' with saxophonist Dave Koz hit number three and he also released 'The Music of Montalvo' with the All-American Boys Chorus and the West European Symphony Orchestra.