David Benoit's first 2 albums: Heavier than Yesterday [FLAC] (1977), Can you Imagine [mp3] (1980)

 

Brief write up:

American jazz pianist, composer and conductor, born 9 May 1953 in Bakersfield, California, USA. He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards.

Came upon this completely by chance, rooting around for some new undiscovered albums on discogs.

The music here is very typical late US fusion with some progressive elements (like so much other stuff I've posted here), perhaps like Harris Simon, Neil Larsen, Jeff Lorber, and of course the two big Davids: Grusin and the inescapable Sanborn.  So many over the years...

From the lovely first album, his 7-minute tribute to Los Angeles, which to be honest doesn't sound anything like the recent city I visited that features, on every block, liquor stores, cash-your-paycheck places, and homeless encampments full of druggies:

From the 2nd album, inevitably not quite as strong but still enjoyable, his Memory of Che: