- Marco Benevento
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Marco Benevento 
Background information Birth name Marco Vincent Benevento Born July 22, 1977 Origin Brooklyn, New York Genres Experimental rock, jazz, experimental music, indie rock Occupations Musician, composer, music producer Instruments Piano, Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Optigan Years active 2002–present Labels Ropeadope Records, Hyena Records, Royal Potato Family Associated acts Benevento/Russo Duo, Garage A Trois, Surprise Me Mr. Davis Website www.marcobenevento.com Marco Benevento (born July 22, 1977 in Livingston, New Jersey) is a pianist, organist and composer from Brooklyn, New York. Benevento is known for his effected piano work with his trio as well as his Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer Electric Piano work with the Benevento Russo Duo. Benevento has also been a member of the New York's jazz and experimental music scene since 1999.
Contents
Biography
He was born in Livingston, New Jersey in 1977 and grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey.[1] He began playing piano at age seven, and discovered jazz and improvised music at age fifteen. Benevento attended Ramapo High School, and got his start with local bands and his high school's jazz band.[1] He graduated from Ramapo High in 1995 and Berklee College of Music in 1999.
He was a member of The Jazz Farmers from 1999–2001, and has been a regular on the New York City contemporary, experimental jazz scene for years. Benevento has studied under and played alongside teachers like Kenny Werner, Brad Mehldau, and Joanne Brackeen; and bandmates like Matt Chamberlain, Steven Bernstein, Wayne Krantz, Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore, Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio.
Benevento is one half of the Benevento Russo Duo, an instrumental indie rock, experimental Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano and drum duo that he formed with drummer Joe Russo in 2001. The band makes use of samplers, loops, circuit bent toys, guitars as well as glockenspiels to augment their sound. The Benevento Russo Duo have performed at events like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Fuji Rock Festival, SXSW, Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, High Sierra Music Festival and have drawn reviews at publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork Media.
Benevento released his first solo studio album as a pianist in 2008, entitled Invisible Baby followed by Me Not Me in 2009. Both albums include drummers Matt Chamberlain and Andrew Barr and bassist Reed Mathis. Featured on both records is Marco's use of an amplified acoustic piano, circuit bent toys, Mellotron and Optigan. Performances with the trio include the JVC Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, SXSW, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, High Sierra Music Festival and Carnegie Hall.
In early 2008, Benevento's Live At Tonic won in The 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Live Performance Album.[2] And in 2009 Benevento's "Invisible Baby" was nominated for Independent Music Awards Jazz Album of the year. In January 2011, Benevento won The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for the Eclectic Album category.[3]
Marco Benevento Trio is exclusively represented by Tree Lawn Artists, Inc. [1]
Equipment
Benevento performing at Mountain Jam 2009 on May 29, 2009
Benevento is best known for his stylistic playing and heavy use of effects. His constantly evolving equipment rig with the Benevento Russo Duo includes a Casio sampling keyboard and myriad effects pedals, but is anchored by his Hammond organ (with bass pedalboard) and Wurlitzer electric piano. A fan of circuit bending, Marco uses a pile of circuit bent toys to create wild and warped sounds. In the spring of 2006 he added a circuit bent television that displays sound waves on the vertical line. When playing with his trio Marco amplifies the piano with guitar pickups and other effects. His release,Live at Tonic, a three-disc Ropeadope album includes Marco playing the piano, toy piano, Yamaha CP60, speak and spell, glockenspiel, Hammond organ, Rhythm Ace Drum Machine, wurlitzer and Rheem Organ.
Bands
In 2005 Marco joined Garage A Trois along with Stanton Moore, Skerik and Mike Dillon.
In 2006, Benevento was featured in Bobby Previte's Coalition of the Willing US and European tour.
In July 2006, Benevento toured with Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon and Joe Russo.
Marco is also a member of the band Bustle In Your Hedgerow, a band that reinterprets the music of Led Zeppelin instrumentally. Other members of this band include Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz, and Joe Russo. The band only gets together a few times a year to perform as each member is busy with his own projects elsewhere.
Marco became the fifth member of the band Surprise Me Mr. Davis. The announcement came from lead singer Nathan Moore during a concert at the Independent in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, July 9, 2009.
T Shirts
Marco also has his own line of T-shirts. They can be found online at We're Using Time For Fun.
Discography
Marco Benevento
- Live at Tonic (2007) Ropeadope
- Invisible Baby (2008) Hyena Records
- Me Not Me (2009) The Royal Potato Family
- Between the Needles and Nightfall (2010) The Royal Potato Family
Benevento/Russo Duo
- Marco Benevento and Joe Russo (2002)
- Darts (2003)
- Best Reason to Buy the Sun (2005) Ropeadope
- Live From Bonnaroo 2005 (featuring Mike Gordon) (July 18, 2006, recorded live in 2005)
- Play Pause Stop (2006) Reincarnate/Butter Problems
Garage A Trois
- Power Patriot (2009) The Royal Potato Family
- Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011) The Royal Potato Family
Videography
- April In New York (2007) Bobby Previte DVD, independent
References
- ^ a b Daly, Mike. "Keeping the Critics Jazzed", (201) magazine, July 2008. Accessed October 29, 2008.
- ^ Independent Music Awards – 7th Annual Winners
- ^ http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/artist/marco-benevento
Sources
- David Fricke, "RollingStone.com Apr 28, 2009 Retrieved July 18, 2009
- David Frike, "RollingStone.com" Feb 26, 2008, Retrieved April 8, 2008
- Chris Barton, "LA Times.com" Dec 28, 2008, Retrieved August 9, 2009
- Get LoFi.com Apr 9, 2009, Retrieved May 2009
- Bret Gladstone, "Village Voice.com" Feb 5, 2008, Retrieved April 11, 2008
- John Regen, KeyboardMagazine.com March 2008, Retrieved April 10, 2008
- HyenaRecords.com January 2008, Retrieved April 2, 2008
External links
- Marco Benevento official website
- Marco Benevento at Hyena Records
- Benevento/Russo Duo official website
- Tuba Sunshine Marco's personal line of clothing
- "The Straight Tonic with Marco Benevento" interview with Marco Benevento on JamBase.com
- "Live at Tonic Live @ the Triple Door" interview with Marco Benevento on MonsterFresh.com
- "Ten Questions for Marco Benevento" interview with Marco Benevento on floodwatchmusic.com
- "Marco Benevento: Man in Motion" interview with Marco Benevento on HonestTune.com
- Benevento covering "Heartbeats" by The Knife and interviewed outside of Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, from Phrequency.com
- 2010 interview with Benevento about writing a new score for House of Usher
- Marco Benevento Interview on TheWaster.com
Categories:- American jazz keyboardists
- American keyboardists
- American jazz organists
- Berklee College of Music alumni
- Jammy Award winners
- American composers
- People from Wyckoff, New Jersey
- Living people
- 1977 births
- Ropeadope Records artists
- Independent Music Awards winners
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