Marco Benevento Gets His Ass In Gear

Four week residency and a lot more, including a new album.

By Blurt Staff

Marco Benevento will call Northern California home in February when he hosts a four week residency at Yoshi's in Oakland. Supporting his new release, Me Not Me (available February 3 from The Royal Potato Family), Benevento is set to appear every Tuesday of the month at the prestigious east bay jazz venue with a different set of special guests.

He'll launch the run on February 3 with an album release party featuring his core trio comprised of bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Andrew Barr. They'll also perform a handful of shows later that week in the northwest. The following Tuesday, Benevento revisits the "two drummers and a saxophone" band from his storied 2008 Sullivan Hall residency with drummers Billy Martin and G. Calvin Weston and tenor saxophonist Skerik. The following night the same lineup heads south for an appearance at Largo in Los Angeles. On February 17, week three, guitarist Jeff Parker of Tortoise joins Benevento along with the Nels Cline Singers' rhythm section, bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola.  Rounding out Benevento's four consecutive Tuesdays at Yoshi's will be "Quartet The Killer," performing the music of Neil Young, for which Benevento will be joined by his partner in The Duo, drummer Joe Russo, along with tenor saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum and trombonist Josh Roseman.

Me Not Me finds Benevento interpreting the work of artists such as Deerhoof, Leonard Cohen, George Harrison and My Morning Jacket among others. Benevento also contributes three original compositions, including "Now They're Writing Music," which was first performed as a rough sketch last spring when the Brooklyn-based pianist appeared on "The World Cafe With David Dye." In addition to Benevento, the album features the aforementioned Mathis and Barr along with drummer Matt Chamberlain. The set was recorded in Seattle at Chroma Sound and mixed in Brooklyn by Bryce Goggin.

Tour Dates:

January 10 / Winter Jazzfest at Sullivan Hall / New York, NY
February 2 / Don Quixote's International Music Hall / Felton, CA
February 3 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 5 / The Triple Door / Seattle, WA
February 6 / Axe & Fiddle / Cottage Grove, OR
February 7 / The Goodfoot / Portland, OR
February 10 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 11 / Largo / Los Angeles, CA (w/ Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey)
February 17 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 24 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
March 7 / The Bell House / Brooklyn, NY