Thursday, October 6, 2011

Daniel Bennett Group to Perform at Bernardsville Library




The Daniel Bennett Group will perform in free concert at Bernardsville Public Library on Sunday, October 23 at 3:00 pm. [Doors open at 2:45 pm.]. An afternoon of original jazz, fused with elements of American folk, the program is funded by the Friends of the Bernardsville Public Library as part of the Sundays at Three concert series. There is no charge to attend and no advance registration is necessary.

The Boston Globe wrote about the group: "The Daniel Bennett Group plays a mix of jazz, folk, and trance." The music is innovative, yet remarkably accessible to a broad spectrum of listeners. Mr. Bennett plays alto saxophone and flute; he will be accompanied by Mark Cocheo on guitar and Brian Adler on drums.

Based in New York, Daniel Bennett has recently shared concert billings with artists like Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter, Greg Osby, James Carter, Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), Steve Kuhn, Jerry Bergonzi, and David Fiuczynski. The Boston Herald described Mr. Bennett’s music as, “exploratory folk-jazz.” The Village Voice raved, "Saxophonist Daniel Bennett makes hay with an airy approach that's buoyant enough to conjure notions of East African guitar riffs and Steve Reich's pastoral repetition." The group will perform selections from their latest album, Peace and Stability Among Bears.

Mr. Bennett attended the prestigious New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, Massachusetts. While at NEC, Bennett studied saxophone with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, and Ken Radnofsky. He graduated with a Master’s degree in performance in 2004 and began a freelance career with groups like the Portland Symphony, New Hampshire Festival Orchestra, Musaner, and the Duprees. During this time, Bennett also began to compose songs that featured folk melodies played on the saxophone in a jazz quartet format. Bennett's chord progressions maintain a unique minimalist quality, influenced by composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The Boston Phoenix described Bennett's style as, "an unusual folk-minimalist approach."

The Daniel Bennett Group released The Legend of Bear Thompson in the spring of 2008. Metronome Magazine ranked the album in their top five picks of the month, declaring, "The trio is so in sync with each other that it's downright mystical." In 2009, the Daniel Bennett Group released Live at the Theatre, a groundbreaking album that was recorded live during a double bill performance with the Charlie Hunter Trio. The Group has been featured on popular radio programs like Harvard University’s Jazz Spectrum (WHRB 95.3FM) and made television appearances on Bandwidth TV, The Music Closet, Style Boston, and Sal's Show. Daniel Bennett’s quirky music has found a broad fan base that is unusual for a modern jazz outfit. Insite Magazine called Daniel Bennett’s music, “refreshingly capricious and trippy.”

For further information, call the library at 908-766-0118.

Photo: Daniel Bennett and his instruments

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