Richard X Bennett

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of the Brooklyn-based pianist Richard X  Bennett for the worldwide release of his next album ‘RXB3’, on 28th May 2021. The  inspirations for Richard X Bennett’s lively work evolve from a wide range of unlikely  sources, from contemporary visual art to ancient metaphysics influenced by years  performing in India, where he recorded a series of critically acclaimed raga-jazz albums for  Times Music, India’s largest record label. At points on RXB3, Richard X Bennett might adopt  the triplet pattern of rhythm made popular by leading contemporary rap group Migos, or  channel the vibe of pre-LP era Duke Ellington, but ultimately he follows his own muse. His  pieces are short takes on the classical ‘theme and variation’, given an edge by deconstructing  said themes in a whirlwind of improv, transforming this long-standing technique into ‘theme  and destruction’!  

Richard X Bennett recorded RXB3 during the lockdown period with long-term collaborator  Adam Armstrong on bass and new drummer Julian Edmond on drums, who originally comes  from a gospel background. The synergy between the trio is more than apparent on the  album. On RXB3, Richard reimagines the trio as a vehicle for his tuneful songs and weighty,  poly-rhythmic, groove-centric piano explorations. He explains: “Each song begins as a bespoke  piano pattern. The melodies evolve from these patterns, resulting in a multitude of ideas that exist  together. I create modern music with a melodic and funky fabric and then tear it apart. My  expectation is that you can listen, dance or vibe to this music at your leisure and pleasure. Listen  closer and you will hear jazz, contemporary classical and Indian raga elements threaded throughout.  The rhythm section has that bounce I like. I met drummer Julian Edmond during the middle of the  pandemic and immediately knew that he could raise the music to a new level. He plays a stripped  down drum set so there’s more air. Adam Armstrong (bass) has that big jazz sound that roots us in  the tradition.” 

The songs are all by Bennett with the exception of Tum Hi Ho , which is a Bollywood  standard written by Mithoon for the movie, Aashiqui 2. Richard elaborates: “In 2019, I played  Tum Hi Ho as a lighter encore for my raga concerts in India. Ballads should be all about the feel. If  you’re noticing my technique, then I’ve done something wrong.” Richard X Bennett has adopted a  multimedia approach to his art, by creating a series of music video’s (partly inspired by  Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’!) that conjure up a range of moods from the comic to the abstract  that perfectly compliment his musical endeavours.  

Richard X Bennett has released music on Ropeadope, Times Music and now Ubuntu, fast  growing in both repertoire and reputation as one of the hottest jazz labels of recent times.  Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, gives his perspective on the Label’s latest  signing: “Richard’s is, undisputedly, a unique and eclectic breed of the modern piano trio. His  compositions are an intoxicating mixture of inviting, seductive melodies which are underpinned by a  take-no-prisoners collision of funk-meets-raga-meets-jazz. It’s an addictive musical cocktail for the  head, the heart and the feet. We’re only too happy to have Richard join the Ubuntu Music Family.”