Bennie Maupin’s The Jewel in the Lotus was released on ECM (1043) in 1974, but is still unavailable as a re-issue on either LP or CD. You can create your own CD by downloading these WAV files. Players on this album include Herbie Hancock, Buster Williams, Fredrick Waits, Billy Hart, Bill Summers, and Charlie Summers.
Bennie Maupin Biography by Scott Yanow
Bennie Maupin is best-known for his association with Herbie Hancock and his atmospheric bass clarinet playing on Miles Davis’ classic Bitches Brew album. Maupin started playing tenor in high school and attended the Detroit Institute for Musical Arts, playing locally in Detroit. He moved to New York in 1963, freelancing with many groups, including ones led by Marion Brown and Pharoah Sanders. Maupin played regularly with Roy Haynes (1966-1968) and Horace Silver (1968-1969), recording with McCoy Tyner (1968), Lee Morgan (1970), and Woody Shaw. After recording with Miles, he joined the Herbie Hancock Sextet. When Hancock broke up his group to form the more commercial Headhunters in 1973, Maupin was the only holdover. He led dates for ECM (1974) and a commercial one for Mercury (1976-1977), but failed to catch on as a bandleader and has maintained a low profile during the past 15 years.
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