Marco Benevento (born July 22, 1977) is an American pianist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who has been a fixture of the New York experimental music

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

scene since 1999. He is the founder and recording engineer of Fred Short, a recording studio in

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

, and a member of the rock groups

Benevento/Russo Duo The Benevento/Russo Duo (or The Duo for short) is an alternative jazz/ rock band from New York City, featuring Marco Benevento on keyboard instruments and Joe Russo on drums. History Benevento and Russo met while in junior high school in New J ...

and

Joe Russo's Almost Dead Joe Russo's Almost Dead is an American rock band formed in 2013 that mainly covers the music of the Grateful Dead. Formed by Furthur and Benevento/Russo Duo drummer Joe Russo, the band played their first show on January 26, 2013 at the Broo ...

, both of which feature his regular musical collaborator Joe Russo.

Early life

Benevento was born in

Livingston, New Jersey Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 29,366, reflecting an increase of 1,975 (+7.2%) from the 27,391 counted in the 2000 Census. In 2019, the Population Estimates Prog ...

, United States, in 1977. He began playing piano at age seven. In his early teens Benevento was drawn to his four-track recorder, synthesizers and making home recordings. Benevento attended Ramapo High School and performed with various rock and experimental bands in

Northern New Jersey North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrati ...

and New York City. He graduated from Ramapo High in 1995 and Berklee College of Music in 1999.

Career

Benevento has been a regular on the New York City contemporary, experimental

scene with his involvement in the Jazz Farmers (1999-2001), the Benevento Russo Duo (2002–present) and his own band (2006–present). Benevento has studied under and played alongside other keyboardists including

Joanne Brackeen Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) is an American jazz pianist and music educator. Music career Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was a fan of pop pi ...

Kenny Werner Kenny Werner (born November 19, 1951) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Werner began playing and performing at a young ...

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

and

Brad Mehldau Bradford Alexander Mehldau (; born August 23, 1970) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Mehldau studied music at The New School, and toured and recorded while still a student. He was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Qua ...

. He has recorded and collaborated with musicians such as

Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session musician, drummer, producer and songwriter. Biography Life and career Chamberlain was born in San Pedro, California on April 17, 1967. He began learning how to play the drums ...

, John McEntire, A. C. Newman,

Rich Robinson Richard Spencer Robinson (born May 24, 1969) is an American musician and founding member of the rock and roll band the Black Crowes. Along with older brother Chris Robinson, Rich formed the band in 1984 (originally called ''Mr. Crowes Garden'' ...

, Stuart D. Bogie, Annakalmia Traver,

Andrew Barr Andrew James Barr (born 29 April 1973) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the 7th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory since 2014. He has been an Australian Labor Party member in the ACT Legislative Assembly sinc ...

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

George Porter George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham (6 December 1920 – 31 August 2002) was a British chemist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967. Education and early life Porter was born in Stainforth, near Thorne, in the then West ...

, Joe Russo,

Mike Gordon Michael Eliot Gordon (born June 3, 1965) is an American bass guitarist and vocalist most recognized as a founding member of the band Phish. In addition to bass, Gordon is an accomplished banjo player, and is proficient at piano and guitar. He ...

Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 Phish o ...

, and Phil Lesh.The keyboardist currently resides in the Woodstock, NY area with his wife and two daughters. Marco Benevento in Saugerties NY 2012

Benevento's first studio album as a pianist, '' Invisible Baby'', released in 2008, was nominated for Independent Music Awards Jazz Album of the year. '' Me Not Me'', his second release, is a mix of original songs and covers such as "Heartbeats" (The Knife) and "Golden (My Morning Jacket). Benevento's third album, ''Between the Needles and Nightfall'', was released in 2010 and his fourth album, ''Tigerface'', was released in 2012. ''Tigerface'' features singer Annakalmia Traver of the band

Rubblebucket Rubblebucket is an American art-pop and indie-rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The primary members are musical couple (now separated) Annakalmia Traver and Alex Toth. Formation Alex Toth (trumpet, band leader) and Kalmia Traver (vocals, saxoph ...

and drummer John McEntire of

Tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

. Throughout all of his recordings Benevento plays an acoustic piano that is amplified by using pickups and effected with various effect pedals. He also makes use of circuit bent toys, drum machines and other synthesizers. Performances with his band include SXSW, Celebrate Brooklyn!, Carnegie Hall, the

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

, the Pickathon Music Festival, and the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

. Benevento toured with

Ween Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band a ...

bassist

Dave Dreiwitz Dave Dreiwitz (born January 2, 1966) is a multi-instrumentalist, best known as the bassist for the band Ween since 1997. Biography Dave Dreiwitz was born on January 2, 1966, in New York City, New York to traditional jazz musician parents, Richa ...

and drummer

Andrew Borger Andrew Borger is an American drummer. Biography Born in Littleton, Colorado, Andrew Borger went to UC Berkeley and played extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area club scene before being recognized by Tom Waits and later Norah Jones. Andrew's ...

from 2012 to 2016. In 2016, Karina Rykman took over on bass for Dave Dreiwitz who had started touring again with Ween. In 2017 David Butler took over on drums when Andrew started playing with KD Lang and Pink Martini.

The Royal Potato Family

In 2009 Benevento began his own record label with manager Kevin Calabro called The Royal Potato Family. Artists on the label include:

Garage A Trois Garage A Trois is an American jazz quartet including drummer Stanton Moore, saxophonist Skerik, vibraphone and percussionist Mike Dillon and keyboardist Marco Benevento. They play a variety of music including rock, funk and jazz. History G ...

, Tom Hamilton's

American Babies American Babies are an indie rock / Americana (music), Americana band from Philadelphia that is led by guitarist and producer Tom Hamilton Jr., Tom Hamilton. Since forming in 2007, the band has released three full-length records and two EPs. The ba ...

, Holly Bowling, Lukas Nelson,

Neal Casal Neal Graeme Casal (November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) ...

, WOLF! Featuring

Scott Metzger Scott Metzger (born October 12, 1977) is an American guitarist. His work touches on many styles including psychedelic rock, soul, country, jazz, and surf rock. His collaborations with other artists include Phil Lesh, John Scofield, Joe Russo, J ...

, Stanton Moore,

Reed Mathis Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * R ...

, Leslie Mendelson, The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Surprise Me Mr Davis, Yellowbirds, Superhuman Happiness, Nathan Moore, and Wil Blades.

Benevento Russo Duo

Benevento is one half of the Benevento Russo Duo, an instrumental

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

, experimental Hammond organ,

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...

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 ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...

Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japa ...

Bonnaroo The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...

, Wakarusa, High Sierra Music Festival and have drawn reviews at publications ranging from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' to ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

''.

Equipment

A fan of circuit bending, Benevento uses modified electronic toys to compose music. When playing with his band Marco amplifies the piano with guitar pickups and other effects. He has toured and performed with a modified acoustic piano,

toy piano The toy piano, also known as the ''kinderklavier'' (child's keyboard), is a small piano-like musical instrument. Most modern toy pianos use round metal rods, as opposed to strings in a regular piano, to produce sound. The U.S. Library of Congress ...

, Yamaha CP60, speak & Spell, glockenspiel, Rhythm Ace Drum Machine,

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

and Rheem Organ. Benevento's equipment includes a

Casio is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. I ...

sampling keyboard, effects pedals, a Hammond organ (with bass pedalboard) and a

Related bands

Benevento is a member of

along with Stanton Moore,

Skerik Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critt ...

and Mike Dillon. Benevento is a member of

, a Grateful Dead tribute band composed of Benevento, Joe Russo (drums),

(bass), Tom Hamilton (guitar), and

(guitar). In 2006, Benevento was featured in

Bobby Previte Bobby Previte (born July 16, 1951 in Niagara Falls, New York) is a drummer, composer, and bandleader. He earned a degree in economics from the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979 and began ...

Coalition of the Willing The term ''coalition of the willing'' refers to an international alliance focused on achieving a particular objective, usually of military or political nature. Usage *One early use was by President Bill Clinton in June 1994 in relation to possib ...

US and European tour. In July 2006, Benevento toured with

and Joe Russo. Benevento is also a member of the band Bustle In Your Hedgerow, a band that reinterprets the music of

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

. In 2006, Benevento recorded an improvisational 32 minute song for Zach Hill's '' Astrological Straits''.

Discography

Marco Benevento

*'' Live at Tonic'' (2007, Ropeadope) *'' Invisible Baby'' (2008, Hyena Records) *'' Me Not Me'' (2009, Royal Potato Family) *''Between the Needles and Nightfall'' (2010, Royal Potato Family) * "Escape Horse"/"Fireworks" ( 7-inch single, 2011, Royal Potato Family) * ''TigerFace'' (2012, Royal Potato Family) * ''Swift'' (2014, Royal Potato Family) * ''The Story of Fred Short'' (2016, Royal Potato Family) * ''Woodstock Sessions'' (2017, Royal Potato Family) * ''Let It Slide'' (2019, 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

) (July 18, 2006, recorded live in 2005) *''

Play Pause Stop ''Play Pause Stop'' is a 2006 album from the Benevento/Russo Duo. Made up of only Marco Benevento and Joe Russo, the album contains the two playing only keyboards and drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is ...

'' (2006) Reincarnate/Butter Problems

Garage A Trois

*'' Power Patriot'' (2009) Royal Potato Family *'' Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil'' (2011) Royal Potato Family

Videography

*''April in New York'' (2007)

DVD, independent

References

External links

Marco Benevento official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benevento, Marco 1977 births Living people American rock pianists American male pianists 21st-century American composers American jazz keyboardists American jazz organists American male organists Berklee College of Music alumni Ramapo High School (New Jersey) alumni People from Wyckoff, New Jersey American male composers Ropeadope Records artists Independent Music Awards winners 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century organists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Coalition of the Willing (band) members Joe Russo's Almost Dead members Garage A Trois members