{{Use British English|date=January 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = Val Bennett | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = Lovall Bennett | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = 1991 | death_place = | origin = | instrument = Tenor saxophone, trombone | genre = Ska, rocksteady, reggae, jazz | occupation = Musician | years_active = Late 1940s &ndash; 1991 | label = | past_member_of = The Val Bennett Orchestra<br />Prince Buster<br />Bunny Lee All Stars<br />The Upsetters | website = }}

'''Val Bennett''' (born '''Lovall Bennett''', died 1991) was a Jamaican tenor saxophonist and jazz and roots reggae musician who began his career in the 1940s. He made a number of releases on the Island Records and Crab Records labels.

==Biography== In the late 1940s, Bennett led his own band, the Val Bennett Orchestra.<ref name="Moskowitz">Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, {{ISBN|0-313-33158-8}}, p. 28</ref> Artists that played in Bennett's band included Jah Jerry Haynes,<ref name="Barrow" /> Lloyd Knibb, and Ernest Ranglin, whose first professional experience was with this band.<ref name="Moskowitz" /> The Val Bennett Orchestra performed regularly at the Colony Club, performing mainly for foreign visitors to Jamaica.<ref name="Campbell">Campbell, Olivia Leigh (2004) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20040329T060000-0500_57824_OBS_ERNIE_RANGLIN_.asp ERNIE RANGLIN: Making people happy with music]", ''Jamaica Observer'', 29 March 2004</ref> The band also toured abroad, performing in countries including Haiti, where they picked up méringue and played it on their return to Jamaica.

In the early to mid-1960s, Bennett was a regular member of Prince Buster's band, playing on many of the singer's best-known recordings, including "Al Capone".<ref name="Barrow">Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, {{ISBN|1-84353-329-4}}, p. 31</ref> Bennett was also a regular studio session musician, appearing on many releases from artists including Theophilus Beckford, Pat Kelly, Barrington Levy, and Delroy Wilson.<ref name="Moskowitz" /> Bennett's session work included saxophone, horn, and trombone.<ref name="Moskowitz" /> In the late 1960s, Bennett joined Bunny Lee's "All Stars".<ref name="Barrow" />

Notable tracks by Bennett include "The Russians Are Coming" (1968), a cover of "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet,<ref name="Thompson">Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, {{ISBN|0-87930-655-6}}, p. 392</ref> which would later go on to be used as the theme tune to the British television series ''The Secret Life of Machines'' in the late-1980s; and "Tons Of Gold" (1970), with the Harry J Allstars, a version of their track "The Liquidator".<ref name="Barrow" /> Bennett also worked for producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, and his Spaghetti Western-inspired "Return of Django", recorded with Perry's studio band The Upsetters was a major UK hit in 1969.<ref name="Munroe">Munroe, Norman (2003) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20030224T000000-0500_40150_OBS_LEE__SCRATCH__PERRY_WINS_REGGAE_GRAMMY.asp Lee 'Scratch' Perry wins Reggae Grammy]", ''Jamaica Observer'', 24 February 2003</ref> His track "Baby Baby" was also included on The Upsetters' album ''Eastwood Rides Again''. Perry was the only producer to get Bennett to perform vocals, "Baby Baby" being one of these examples, the other being "Barbara".<ref name="Katz">Katz, David (2000) ''People Funny Boy: the Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry'', Payback Press, {{ISBN|0-86241-854-2}}, p. 72</ref>

==See also== * Island Records discography * Music of Jamaica

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Val+Bennett Val Bennett discography at discogs.com] * [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/1340 Val Bennett] discography at Roots Archives

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Val}} Category:Year of birth missing Category:1991 deaths Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Jamaican jazz musicians Category:Island Records artists