Bass
John is a five -time Grammy winner, recognized for his contributions to Roy Hargrove’s Habana, Bebo Valdez’ Bebo de Cuba and Eddie Palmieri’s Listen Here! He also appears on Grammy nominated recordings by David Sánchez and Conrad Herwig.
John completed his High School at The Escuela Libre de Música at the early age of thirteen and later completed additional studies at the University of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Conservatory, where he apprenticed under Federico Silva. His thirst for knowledge soon brought him to New York, where he continued his education under the tutelage of Ron Carter at the City University of New York.
By the age of nineteen he was a first-call bassist in his native country Puerto Rico. He then moved to New York City in 1993 and has worked with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Willie Colon, Ray Barreto, The artist Joe, Mos Def, Hilton Ruiz, Michele Camilo, Oz Noy, Wayne Krantz, Buika, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Roy Hargrove, Luis Salinas, Danilo Perez, Chick Corea, Chucho Valdez, John Scofield, Mingus Big Band, Dave Samuels and Mongo Santamaria to name just a few.
As a sideman and featured artist, he has performed at major festivals worldwide, from Canada to Jordan, where he played for the royal family. As a USIA Jazz Ambassador, He toured South America extensively and has been featured on national television shows such as Good Morning America, The Today Show and BET’s On Jazz.
John also has released two CD’s as a leader, Descarga and the second In 2011, Purpose (on Seed Music) which features the core ensemble including pianist Manueal Valera, guitarist Tom Guarna, alto saxophonist Will Vinson and John’s son, the drummer Francis Benitez. DownBeat calls it “enthralling.”