Max Bennett (May 24, 1928 – September 14, 2018) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

bassist and session musician.

Early life

Bennett grew up in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

and

Oskaloosa, Iowa Oskaloosa is a List of cities in Iowa, city in, and the county seat of, Mahaska County, Iowa. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Oskaloosa was a national center of bituminous coal mining. The population was 11,558 in the 2020 U ...

, and went to college in Iowa.

Career

Bennett's first professional gig was with

Herbie Fields Herbie Fields (Herbert Bernfeld, May 24, 1919 – September 17, 1958) was an American jazz musician. He attended New York's famed Juilliard School of Music (1936–38) and served in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1943. Career Membership in the Raym ...

in 1949, and following this he played with

Georgie Auld Georgie Auld (May 19, 1919 – January 8, 1990) was a jazz tenor saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. Early years Auld was born John Altwerger in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. Before the family left Canada, Auld ...

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

, and

Charlie Ventura Charlie Ventura (born Charles Venturo; December 2, 1916 – January 17, 1992) was an American tenor saxophonist and bandleader from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Career During the 1940s, Ventura played saxophone for the bands ...

. He served in the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

from 1951 to 1953, and then played with

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

before moving to Los Angeles. There he played regularly at the Lighthouse Cafe with his own ensemble, and played behind such vocalists as

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

and

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

Elkie Brooks through the 1970s. He also recorded with

Charlie Mariano Carmine Ugo Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) was an American jazz saxophone, saxophonist who focused on the alto saxophone, alto and soprano saxophone. He occasionally performed and recorded on flute and nadaswaram as well. Biogra ...

Conte Candoli Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orc ...

, Bob Cooper, Bill Holman, Stan Levey, Lou Levy,

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

and

Jack Montrose Jack Montrose (December 30, 1928 – February 7, 2006) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and arranger. After attending college in Los Angeles, he worked with Jerry Gray and then Art Pepper. Montrose also did arrangements for Clifford Brown. ...

. Bennett recorded under his own name from the late 1950s and did extensive work as a composer and studio musician in addition to jazz playing. Often associated with The Wrecking Crew, he performed on many records by

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

and

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom created by Bernard Slade, which was broadcast in the United States from September 1970 to March 1974 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. After the final first-run telecast on ABC in March ...

. In 1969, Bennett served as the principal bassist for

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

's ''

Hot Rats ''Hot Rats'' is the second solo album by Frank Zappa, released in October 1969. It was Zappa's first recording project after the dissolution of the original lineup of the Mothers of Invention. Five of the six songs are instrumental, while " Wil ...

'' project. According to Bennett, "I was not familiar with Zappa’s music. Our paths never crossed. I was never a big fan of avant garde music in that sense. It was while I was working in the studio, what was it, 1967 'sic'' I think? And I got a call from

John Guerin John Payne Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style. Biography Guerin was born in Hawaii and raised in San Diego. As a young drummer, he began performing with Buddy ...

. He said, ‘Get your stuff over to TTG’—that was in Hollywood—‘I got a double session for you with Frank Zappa.’ So we get there and we worked two double sessions for two nights. And that was the album, that was ''Hot Rats''.” He also played on subsequent Zappa albums such as ''

Chunga's Revenge ''Chunga's Revenge'' is the third solo album, and eleventh album counting the work of his band The Mothers of Invention, by Frank Zappa, released on October 23, 1970. Zappa's first effort of the 1970s marks the first appearance of former Turtle ...

''. His studio work also included bass on the 1969

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Music of Latin America, Lati ...

soundtrack to the 1968 film ''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American action thriller film directed by Peter Yates from a screenplay by Alan Trustman, Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner and based on the 1963 crime novel ''Mute Witness'' by Robert L. Fish. It stars Steve McQueen, Ro ...

'' as well as ''Greatest Science Fiction Hits'' Volumes 1-3 with Neil Norman & His Cosmic Orchestra. In 1973, Guerin and Bennett joined Tom Scott's L.A. Express alongside

Joe Sample Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American jazz keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, whose name was shortened to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a p ...

and

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

. After recording their eponymous debut album, the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

quintet served as the core band for Mitchell's ''

Court and Spark ''Court and Spark'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released by A&M in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements. It was an immediate commercial and critical su ...

'' (1974). A subsequent iteration of the group (including guitarist

Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock music, rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets (band), Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harriso ...

and pianist Larry Nash) backed Mitchell on the live ''

Miles of Aisles ''Miles of Aisles'' is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1974 on Asylum Records. It is a double album documenting her concerts in support of the ''Court and Spark'' album with her backing band for the ...

'' (1974) and recorded two

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

albums for

Caribou Records Caribou Records was an American record label. It was owned by James William Guercio, who also owned Caribou Ranch recording studio and was the longtime manager of the band Chicago. Caribou was an imprint of CBS Records, now Sony Music; the label ...

following Scott's departure in 1976. After the band's dissolution, Bennett formed his own group, Freeway. He continued to perform with his last group, Private Reserve, until his death in 2018.

Discography

As leader

* ''Max Bennett Quintet'' (

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, 1955) * ''Max Bennett Sextet'' (Bethlehem, 1956) * ''Max Bennett Septet, Quartet & Trio'' (Bethlehem, 1956) * ''Max Bennett with Charlie Mariano'' (Bethlehem) * ''Interchange'' (

Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

, 1987) U.S. Top Contemporary Jazz #13 * ''The Drifter'' (1987) U.S. Top Contemporary Jazz #21 * ''Images'' (TBA, 1989) * ''Great Expectations'' (Chase Music, 1993) * ''Max Is the Factor'' (

Fresh Sound Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label. The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...

, 2006)

As sideman

With

Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...

* '' Southbound'' (A&M Records, 1975) With

* '' Diamonds & Rust'' (A&M Records, 1975) With Stephen Bishop * '' Careless'' (ABC Records, 1976) With

Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...

* ''His California Album'' (Dunhill, 1973) With David Blue * ''Com'n Back for More'' (Asylum, 1975) With

Terence Boylan Terence Curtin Boylan (born 1946) is an American singer-songwriter. Brought up in Buffalo, New York, Terence Boylan first appeared on local radio in the late 1950s performing a song he had written at the age of 11. While still in his mid teens, ...

* ''Terence Boylan'' (Asylum, 1977) With

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1945) is an English Rock music, rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe (band), Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest su ...

* '' Rich Man's Woman'' (A&M Records, 1975) With

Vikki Carr Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than five decades. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has ...

* ''Ms. America'' (Columbia, 1973) With

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor. In film he is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's ''Nashville'', E. J. Bellocq in Louis Malle's ''Pretty Baby'', and Mickey in Alan Rudolph's '' Choose Me.'' ...

* '' I'm Easy'' (Asylum, 1976) With

David Cassidy David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor and musician. He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical-sitcom ''The Partridge Family''. After completing high school, Cassidy purs ...

* '' Cherish'' (Bell, 1972) * '' Rock Me Baby'' (Bell, 1973) * '' Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes'' (Bell, 1973) With

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

* ''

'' (Reprise Records, 1970) With Bob Cooper * ''

Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper ''Coop! The Music of Bob Cooper'' is an album by saxophonist Bob Cooper recorded in 1957 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (Contemporary, 1958) With England Dan & John Ford Coley * ''

Fables Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that ...

'' (A&M, 1972) With

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

* '' Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile'' (Atlantic, 1966) With

The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...

* '' Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes'' (Bell, 1971) * '' Living Together, Growing Together'' (Bell, 1973) With

Don Everly Isaac Donald Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) was an American musician. Everly was one-half of the singing duo The Everly Brothers alongside his younger brother Phil Everly, Phil. Early life Don was born in Brownie, Kentucky on Febru ...

* ''Don Everly'' (Ode, 1971) With

José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (; born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican musician. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' " Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song "". Music genres he explo ...

* ''Just Wanna Rock 'n' Roll'' (RCA Victor, 1975) With

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 as the Four Aims. They were one of the most commercially successful American pop music groups of the 1960s and helped propel Motown Records to international fame. The ...

* '' Night Lights Harmony'' (ABC, 1975) With Michael Franks * '' Michael Franks'' (Brut, 1973) With

The Friends of Distinction The Friends of Distinction were an American vocal group founded by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, best known for their 1969 RIAA-certified Gold hits "Grazing in the Grass" and "Going in Circles" and the 1970 hit " Love or Let Me Be Lonely", with ...

* ''

Grazin' ''Grazin is the debut studio album by music group The Friends of Distinction, released in 1969 on RCA Victor. Commercial performance The album peaked at No. 10 on the R&B albums chart. It also reached No. 35 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1969) With

Art Garfunkel Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer, actor and poet who is best known for his partnership with Paul Simon in the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, Garfunkel became acquainte ...

* '' Breakaway'' (Columbia Records, 1975) With

Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in the United States to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 ...

* ''

The Delta Sweete ''The Delta Sweete'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on February 5, 1968, by Capitol Records. The album was produced by Kelly Gordon. Background One week after "Ode to Billie Joe" concluded ...

'' (Capitol, 1968) With

Cyndi Grecco Cyndi Grecco (born May 19, 1952) is an American singer who performed the theme song to the 1970s American television show ''Laverne & Shirley''. The song, " Making Our Dreams Come True," featured Grecco accompanied by The Ron Hicklin Singers. ...

* ''

Making Our Dreams Come True "Making Our Dreams Come True" is a 1976 hit single written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It was recorded by Cyndi Grecco, then an unknown musician. The title track of her debut album, it was also used as the theme song to the 1976–83 tele ...

'' (Private Stock Records, 1976) With

Henry Gross Henry Gross (born April 1, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his association with the group Sha Na Na and for his hit record, hit song, "Shannon (song), Shannon". Gross is considered a one-hit wonder artist; none of his ot ...

* ''Henry Gross'' (ABC Records, 1972) With

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...

* ''

Hobo's Lullaby ''Hobo's Lullaby'' is a folk song written by American folk artist Goebel Reeves. It is commonly associated with folk singer Woody Guthrie, for whom it was one of his favorite songs and covered it. Background ''Hobo's Lullaby'' was written by G ...

'' (Reprise Records, 1972) With

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

* ''

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...

'' (Apple Records, 1974) With

Johnny Hartman John Maurice Hartman (July 3, 1923 – September 15, 1983) was an American jazz singer, known for his rich baritone voice and recordings of ballads. He sang and recorded with Earl Hines' and Dizzy Gillespie's big bands and with Erroll Garner. ...

* '' I Love Everybody'' (ABC, 1967) With Jack Jones * ''Harbour'' (RCA Victor, 1974) * ''What I Did for Love'' (RCA Victor, 1975) With Barbara Keith * ''Barbara Keith'' (Reprise, 1973) With Raymond Louis Kennedy * ''Raymond Louis Kennedy'' (Cream, 1970) With

* '' Contemporary Concepts'' (Capitol, 1955) With

Bill LaBounty Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb/Warner Bros. Records. His first charting single, " This Night Won't ...

* ''Promised Love'' (Curb Records, 1975) With

* '' The Man I Love'' (Capitol Records, 1957) * '' Pretty Eyes'' (Capitol Records, 1960) * '' If You Go'' (Capitol, 1961) * '' Sugar 'n' Spice'' (Capitol Records, 1962) * '' Blues Cross Country'' (Capitol Records, 1962) * '' Mink Jazz'' (Capitol Records, 1963) * '' I'm a Woman'' (Capitol Records, 1963) * '' In Love Again!'' (Capitol Records, 1964) * '' Then Was Then – Now Is Now!'' (Capitol Records, 1965) * '' Big $pender'' (Capitol Records, 1966) * '' Guitars a là Lee'' (Capitol Records, 1966) * '' Somethin' Groovy!'' (Capitol Records, 1967) * ''

Bridge over Troubled Water ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for ''The Graduate'', Art Garfunkel took an acting ...

'' (Capitol Records, 1970) * '' Make It with You'' (Capitol Records, 1970) * '' Close Enough for Love'' (DRG Records, 1979) With Lori Lieberman * ''A Piece of Time'' (Capitol Records, 1974) With

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

* ''

'' (Polydor Records, 1973) With

Barry Mann Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman; February 9, 1939) is an American songwriter and musician, and was part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil. He has written or co-written 53 hits in the UK and 98 in the US. Early ...

* ''Barry Mann'' (Casablanca Records, 1980) With

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

* '' Broken Blossom'' (Atlantic Records, 1977) With

* ''

'' (Asylum Records, 1974) * '' The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' (Asylum Records, 1975) * ''

Hejira The Hijrah, () also Hegira (from Medieval Latin), was the journey the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers took from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the epoch of the Lunar Hijri and Sola ...

'' (Asylum Records, 1976) With

* '' The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees'' (Colgems, 1968) * ''

Instant Replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred, both shot and broadcast live TV, live. After being shown live, the video is replayed so viewers can see it again and analyze what just happened. Spo ...

'' (Colgems, 1969) * '' The Monkees Present'' (Colgems, 1969) With

* '' Blues and Vanilla'' (RCA Victor, 1956) * '' The Horn's Full'' (RCA Victor, 1957) With

Walter Murphy Walter Anthony Murphy Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American composer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for the instrumental " A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which topp ...

* ''Rhapsody in Blue'' (Private Stock, 1977) With

Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the Monkees and co-star of their The Monkees (TV series), TV series of the same name (1966–1968) ...

* '' Nevada Fighter'' (RCA Records, 1971) With

Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942), also known as Mr. Las Vegas, is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in ...

* ''Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast'' (Chelsea, 1972) * ''While We're Still Young'' (Chelsea, 1973) With

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, a ...

* '' Heart Beat'' (Capitol, 1980) With

Kenny Nolan Kenneth "Kenny" Nolan (born September 30, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. He is best remembered for the 1976–77 song " I Like Dreamin'", which he wrote and performed; it reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 an ...

* ''A Song Between Us'' (Polydor, 1978) With Tom Pacheco * ''The Outsider'' (RCA Records, 1976) With Austin Roberts * ''The Last Thing On My Mind'' (Chelsea, 1973) With

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early life Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 — a ...

* '' Antelope Freeway'' (Impulse!, 1971) With

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie (born Beverley Jean Santamaria; February 20, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and social activist. Sainte-Marie's singing and writing repertoire includes subjects of love, war, religion, and mysticism, and h ...

* '' Sweet America'' (ABC, 1976) With

* '' There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On'' (Dot, 1968) * ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'' (Paramount, 1968) * ''Bullitt'' (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1968) * '' Rock Requiem'' (Verve, 1971) * ''

Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall, Shih Kien and Jim Kelly. ''Enter the Dragon'' was ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1973) With

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

* '' Sinatra & Company'' (Reprise, 1971) With O. C. Smith * ''Together'' (Caribou, 1977) With

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924, or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician many consider the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mississippi, ...

* '' Sweet Giant of the Blues'' (BluesTime, 1970) With Suzanne Stevens * ''Crystal Carriage'' (Capitol, 1977) With

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

* '' Stoney End'' (Columbia Records, 1971) * ''

ButterFly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

'' (Columbia Records, 1974) With Jim Sullivan * '' U.F.O.'' (Monnie, 1969) With

Gábor Szabó Gábor István Szabó (March 8, 1936 – February 26, 1982) was a Hungarian-American guitarist whose style incorporated jazz, pop, rock, and Music of Hungary, Hungarian music. Early years Szabó was born in Budapest, Budapest, Hungary. He bega ...

and

Bob Thiele Robert "Bob" Thiele (July 27, 1922 – January 30, 1996) was an American record producer who worked on numerous classic jazz albums and record labels. Early life and career Bob Thiele was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, United Sta ...

* '' Light My Fire'' (Impulse!, 1967) With

Valdy Paul Valdemar Horsdal, (born 1 September 1945), commonly known as Valdy, is a Canadian folk and country musician whose solo career began in the early 1970s. He is known for "Rock and Roll Song", his first mainstream single. Valdy is the winner o ...

* ''Country Man'' (Haida, 1972) * ''Landscapes'' (Haida, 1973) With

* ''

'' (

Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...

, 1969) * ''

'' (

, 1970) * '' Studio Tan'' (

DiscReet Records DiscReet Records, self-identified simply as DiscReet, was a record label founded by Frank Zappa and his then business partner and manager Herb Cohen. The name of the label was a pun derived from disc and the Compatible Discrete 4 process of ...

, 1978) * '' The Lost Episodes'' (

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record label ...

, 1996) * ''

Läther ''Läther'' (, or "''Leather''") is the sixty-fifth official album by Frank Zappa. It was released posthumously as a three-CD set on Rykodisc in 1996. The album's title is derived from bits of comic dialog that link the songs. Zappa also explaine ...

'' (

, 1996) * '' Quaudiophiliac'' (

Barking Pumpkin Records Barking Pumpkin Records is an American record label founded by Frank Zappa in 1981. Zappa named the label after his wife's smoker's cough when she tried to quit the habit. Barking Pumpkin was initially distributed by CBS Records. History Zappa ...

, 2004) * ''The Hot Rats Sessions'' (Zappa Records, 2019) * ''Funky Nothingness'' (Zappa Records, 2023) TV, film and motion picture soundtracks written by: *

Michel Legrand Michel Jean Legrand (; 24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to ma ...

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

Michel Colombier Michel Colombier (23 May 1939 – 14 November 2004) was a French composer, arranger, and conductor. Career Colombier wrote the scores of several motion pictures and TV productions. He also wrote chamber music and ballets. With composer Pierre ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

* Tom Scott *

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, ...

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

* Charles Fox *

Artie Butler Arthur Butler (born December 2, 1942) is an American arranger, composer, songwriter, and session musician. In a long career, he has been involved in numerous hit records and other recordings, and has been awarded over 60 gold and platinum album ...

Billy Byers William Mitchell Byers (May 1, 1927 – May 1, 1996) was an American jazz trombonist and arranger. Early life Byers was born in Los Angeles on May 1, 1927. He suffered from arthritis from a young age and was unable to continue his plans of a ca ...

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 orig ...

* Michael Melvoin

References

External links

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Max Bennett Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Max 1928 births 2018 deaths American jazz musicians American session musicians Mainstream Records artists The Wrecking Crew (music) members Musicians from Des Moines, Iowa Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri People from Oskaloosa, Iowa American rock bass guitarists American jazz bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Jazz musicians from Missouri American male jazz musicians L.A. Express members