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Joseph Benzola	mp3.com/amanitamusic
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Joseph Benzola/Amanita Music

To Listen To Some of The Most Innovative Percussion Music Anywhere, Pay a Visit to Percussion Discussion

"Opening with the multi-tracked tribute to Lester Bowie, Benzola's combination of harmonica, taragato, percussion, kalimba, bells, gongs, shakers, toys, and little instruments evokes the creative playful spirit of the Art ensemble of Chicago. The Conversation recombines electronics with performance art: a dialogue recited as deadpan monologue filtered with vocoder effects."
David Lewis; Cadence

"The Sound of One Hand Clapping is an absolute sonic tour-de-force; an aural cineamatic journey through time and cultures. Make sure you listen to this one on a good set of speakers.

The first eight tracks are a wonderfully intoxicating celebration of percussion. The percussion is supported by Benzola with bamboo flutes, tuned bells and other instruments to create a concrete sonic environment reminiscent of some sort of extended Eastern festival.

The second half of this CD is probably some of the most interesting 45 minutes of music you will ever hear. It features eight of Benzola's homages "Portraits of the Dead," to his musical heroes and influences. These include Kurt Cobain and Jaco Pastorius ("Kurt and Jaco are dancing in Heaven", a riveting piece heavily influenced by Tibetan religion and instrumentation), Sun Ra, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, John Cage, Albert Ayler and Ed Blackwell, Edgar Varese, and Thelonious Monk

Dig The New Breed is the latest release from the Benzola sonic foundry. On this CD, Benzola continues his ongoing project of "Portraits of the Dead" paeans, this time with tributes to Lester Bowie and Tony Williams. The remainder of this very introspective work becomes almost tantric at times with sounds that transport you beyond what you know to be true. If you can possibly imagine LaMont Young writing music for Cecil Taylor performed by a Tibetian drum orchestra, you will have some idea of this music. Some have tried to label this as "Free Jazz Psychedelic" but don't get tripped up on this. To do that will cause you to miss out on some extraordinarily mind expanding listening."

Philip Egert; Drimala Records

When water is scooped in the hands,

the moon is reflected in them;

when flowers are handled,

the scent soaks into the robe.

-Master Hoyen-

Welcome to my homepage. The music presented here is a reflection of my interests in sonic exploration. I do not think that the medium and methods are important to good music; I feel that communication of ideas and transcendence to the spiritual and aesthetic realm is of the utmost of importance.

There is a series of compositions posted here called Portraits of the Dead which has become an ongoing project for me in order to pay tribute to the great masters of creative music. Included in these portraits are such diverse influences as John Cage, Albert Ayler, Tony Williams, Lester Bowie, & Kurt Cobain. I consider these to be sonic portraits and homage's as opposed to a simple stylistic rip-off.

There are special Mp3 compilation CD's on sale on this page. The full releases of Reflections, Serenity, The Third Ear, The Sound of One Hand Clapping, and Dig The New Breed can be purchased here at the Amanita Music Homepage. All questions and comments are welcome.

For those interested in reading a lengthy review of my work which also includes an interview, click here. And for the daring...there is a two part radio interview which I did with those two madcaps at Kalvos and Damians New Music Bazaar. Click here for part one and here for part two. Happy listening!

I'm actually painting pictures of infinity with my music and that's why a lot

of people can't understand it. And when I say so, a lot of people don't believe

me. But if they'd listen to this and to the other types of music, they'll find

that this has something else in it, something from another world.

-Sun Ra-

Very little immediate tradition lies behind Le Sacre du Printemps however, and

no theory. I had only my ears to help me; I heard and I wrote what I heard. I

am the vessel through which Le Sacre passed.

-Igor Stravinsky-

One of the problems my music has had is that it's an abstract music, and

people are not being educated to deal with abstract music or abstract thought.

The abstract plane involves many levels, the first being self-realization or

having some fundamental understanding of what you think about things.

Abstract Consciousness is not necessarily relevant to being a great Republican

or Democrat.

-Anthony Braxton-

To be able to play the things I heard in Africa, the drummer has to hear the

drums as a singing instrument.

-Ed Blackwell-

Being musical has to do with intuitive intelligence, not just communicating intelligence...

Musical training has nothing to do with musicality. You can train someone for years

in a conservatory of music and develop the ability to recognize pitch constructions,

harmonies, chords, melodies, intervals-all intellectually.

-Karlheinz Stockhausen-

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