A Chance Meeting

India's National Newspaper

March 12, 2005

Richard Bennett, Neil Diamond and Mark Knopfler's guitarist, loves the Hawaiian guitar.

It was nice to catch Richard Bennett all informal at his door. Sometimes you go straight to them on instinct that they would be nice. Richard was more than nice. In the midst of getting prepared for his concert, he said he was fine spending a few minutes on himself and Knopfler.

What kind of music and guitar work does Richard like? He says "Hawaiian and jazz. "But I should say country and blues too have an equal say in me. And I grew up listening to lot of rock 'n' roll. It is really a stew of music."

Who has influenced you most? "Steve Phillips, Hank Marvin, Chet Atkins, Lonnie Johnson, Oscar Moore, Martin Grady, Bernie and the like." The 50s and the 60s have been a favourite of his.

Richard has been playing the guitar for 30-odd years now. He graduated from high school back in 1969 and moved on to Los Angeles. "My training in music began on records in studios. I started as a studio musician."

How does he like it live? "Studio is all about controlled, and focused drive and music. Live is about reacting to an audience and to your own music."

And then he surprises you on turns in his guitar career. "I've worked with Neil Diamond for 17 years. The connection happened through a musician friend of mine. I'd do the recording."

In 1985, he moved to Nashville as studio musician. There he met friends again who put him on to Knopfler. "That's how I got to know him. We hooked up and worked together and brought out our first album, Golden Heart."

On working with Neil Diamond and Knopfler? "Well, they are two different people. Two different approaches to music. Neil's background is the New York 10 Pen Alley kind, where as Knopfler is from country and blues."

On Knopfler himself? What is it to work with him? "I think he is one of the best living songwriters."

And just as you walk back to the lobby, you find the man himself. Mark, I love your songs, says this fan. He turns around and with a warm handshake and says: "Thanks very much."

Chance is beautiful.

-- G.N. Prashanth