A complete unknown group:
American keyboard player, songwriter, arranger, and band leader. In the early 70s, R.J. Benninghoff lead the house band at Minaret Records label in Valparaiso, Florida.
Frequently credited as an arranger under the alias Ar-Jay. Fuzzy, Psychedelic Bach… It just doesn’t get much better than this…(rickdog-vintage.rssing.com)
And here´s his orst album … a crazy mixture between compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven and funky, psyhedelic irffs and melodies.
We hear a lot of keyboards, of course, but also heavy guitars and great flute and saxophone solos.
As I said: completely unknown, but a really strong album !
Listen and enjoy !
Later he recorded two more albums (“Church Bach”, 1971 and “An Evening With Chopin R.J. Benninghoff, 1976)
Personnel:
David Adkins (drums. percussion, guitar, organ)
John Rainey Adkins (guitar, effects)
R.J. Benninghoff (keyoards)
Don Hutchison (saxophone, clarinet)
Roxanne Hutchison (flute, saxophone)
Kent Phillips (bass, guitar, percssion)
Larry Shell (guitar, piano)
Tracklist:
01. The Boggy Bayou Revival (adapted from Beethoven´s Sixth) 7.09
02. The Error-atica (adapted from Beethoven´s Third) 7.59
03. Da-Da-Da-Daah (adapted from Beethoven´s Fifth) 8:36
04. It’s Nota (Benninghoff) 2.19
05. Supersong (Benninghoff) 3.21
I was unable to find out much of anything of pianist, writer, and arranger R.J. Benninghoff. From what I can tell, he is from Indiana. I believe he worked in Nashville as a song writer and a session man According to one source, he liked to use the word groovy, he worked on Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women”, and he was a handsome young man. Sometime in the late 60’s he became the leader of the house band for Minaret Records (most of his band mates also played on this album). I believe during this period, he was in Valparaiso, Florida. He also put out a few more other classical/rock hybrid albums. Sometime in the 70’s, Minaret Records started to fade and Benninghoff returned to Indiana. I believe he is still alive. (donkey-show.com)
ManyFantasticColors 