LOOKING FOR THE BLESSINGS!
Daniel Bennett offers hope during Coronavirus
Daniel Bennett offers hope during Coronavirus
Photo by James Bartolozzi
by Sammy Stein with Daniel Bennett
Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation and is known for his free-thinking approach to music and life. In this crisis, he has been an outspoken voice of hope.
As we know Covid 19 or Coronavirus or the C word has made us all re-think the arts and we have discovered that musicians can be creative and resourceful. Online gigs, multi screened performances, articles and messages of hope appear almost every minute. For New York band leader Daniel Bennett, like many other musicians, it could not have come at a worse time. Daniel had just embarked on a tour when the shut-down in America hit hard. The Daniel Bennett group had just played at the Blue Note and Ronnie Scott's and were riding the a wave, with new people finding their original sound. However, Daniel is not one to allow a global stand down come between him and connecting through music. He moved his entire operation on-line and focussed on hope.
Daniel Bennet Group was in the midst of celebrating the release of their new album, 'We Are the Orchestra.' which the Boston Globe described as, 'a mix of jazz, folk, and minimalism' ( and I reviewed it , calling it mesmeric at one point) . The album features music from 'Whitman at the Whitney,' a theatre production Daniel orchestrated at the Whitney Museum in New York. Daniel Bennett is joined by renowned guitarist Assaf Kehati and master percussionist Koko Bermejo. The band played recent album release concerts at the Blue Note in New York and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. They have featured in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, San Francisco Examiner, Miami Herald, and the Village Voice and now Jazz Views. The trio was recently voted 'Best New Jazz Group' in Hot House Magazine. The Village Voice said, of Daniel's playing, '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.'
In addition to leading his own band, Daniel Bennett performs in theatre productions in New York City. He recently composed the musical score for stage adaptations of 'Frankenstein' and 'Brave Smiles' at the Hudson Guild Theatre and also played woodwinds in 'Blank! The Musical,' the first improvised musical to launch on a national stage. The New York Times called the show, "Witty, Likable and Ludicrous!" Daniel Bennett's theatrical works have strongly influenced his eclectic sound and musical storytelling abilities as a bandleader. So, all this came to a stop and suddenly but did it stop Daniel Bennett? Nah!
As faculty teacher at the Bloomingdale School of Music and New York jazz Academy, Daniel began teaching students on-line. Now, he connects with students from the US to Japan, offering them lessons, support and that vital continuity. He broadcasts his online jazz teaching every day. Daniel has found new online solutions to problems which have shut many down. He has found hope where many would despair and he has thought around the situation. He says, 'An artist must fix problems and be focussed on hope. Our musical renaissance is just beginning.' Daniel Bennett, like many musicians, offers hope, during Coronavirus' and his activity is packed full of positivity.
In a recent interview with The Music and Myth in Europe Bennett said, "The virus will die, but our cultural renaissance has just begun."
Whether his vision will prove true , time will tell but for now, hope is there and rising.
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/2466566686991937/
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/232704221244424/
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/3080225605355074/
Daniel Bennett has been hailed as one of the most original and unpredictable musical voices of his generation and is known for his free-thinking approach to music and life. In this crisis, he has been an outspoken voice of hope.
As we know Covid 19 or Coronavirus or the C word has made us all re-think the arts and we have discovered that musicians can be creative and resourceful. Online gigs, multi screened performances, articles and messages of hope appear almost every minute. For New York band leader Daniel Bennett, like many other musicians, it could not have come at a worse time. Daniel had just embarked on a tour when the shut-down in America hit hard. The Daniel Bennett group had just played at the Blue Note and Ronnie Scott's and were riding the a wave, with new people finding their original sound. However, Daniel is not one to allow a global stand down come between him and connecting through music. He moved his entire operation on-line and focussed on hope.
Daniel Bennet Group was in the midst of celebrating the release of their new album, 'We Are the Orchestra.' which the Boston Globe described as, 'a mix of jazz, folk, and minimalism' ( and I reviewed it , calling it mesmeric at one point) . The album features music from 'Whitman at the Whitney,' a theatre production Daniel orchestrated at the Whitney Museum in New York. Daniel Bennett is joined by renowned guitarist Assaf Kehati and master percussionist Koko Bermejo. The band played recent album release concerts at the Blue Note in New York and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. They have featured in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR, San Francisco Examiner, Miami Herald, and the Village Voice and now Jazz Views. The trio was recently voted 'Best New Jazz Group' in Hot House Magazine. The Village Voice said, of Daniel's playing, '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.'
In addition to leading his own band, Daniel Bennett performs in theatre productions in New York City. He recently composed the musical score for stage adaptations of 'Frankenstein' and 'Brave Smiles' at the Hudson Guild Theatre and also played woodwinds in 'Blank! The Musical,' the first improvised musical to launch on a national stage. The New York Times called the show, "Witty, Likable and Ludicrous!" Daniel Bennett's theatrical works have strongly influenced his eclectic sound and musical storytelling abilities as a bandleader. So, all this came to a stop and suddenly but did it stop Daniel Bennett? Nah!
As faculty teacher at the Bloomingdale School of Music and New York jazz Academy, Daniel began teaching students on-line. Now, he connects with students from the US to Japan, offering them lessons, support and that vital continuity. He broadcasts his online jazz teaching every day. Daniel has found new online solutions to problems which have shut many down. He has found hope where many would despair and he has thought around the situation. He says, 'An artist must fix problems and be focussed on hope. Our musical renaissance is just beginning.' Daniel Bennett, like many musicians, offers hope, during Coronavirus' and his activity is packed full of positivity.
In a recent interview with The Music and Myth in Europe Bennett said, "The virus will die, but our cultural renaissance has just begun."
Whether his vision will prove true , time will tell but for now, hope is there and rising.
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/2466566686991937/
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/232704221244424/
https://www.facebook.com/95374724545/videos/3080225605355074/
