Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
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.
Biography
He was born in Livingston, New Jersey in 1977 and grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey. 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. 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, Andrew Barr, Billy Martin, George Porter, Johnny Vidacovich, Steven Bernstein, Cindy Blackman, Wayne Krantz, Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore, Jon Fishman, 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, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage 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. 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.
In 2009 Benevento began his own record label with manager Kevin Calabro called The Royal Potato Family. Bands on the label include Yellowbirds, Super Human Happiness, Nathan Moore, Wil Blades, Billy Martin, Nathan Moore, Surprise Me Mr Davis, Garage A Trois and The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey
Equipment
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.
In 2010, Benevento joined Bitches Brew Revisited featuring Cindy Blackman, Graham Haynes, Melvin Gibbs, DJ Logic and other NYC musicians.
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.
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.
