Dave Bennett Biography
Michigan clarinetist DAVE BENNETT, is an authentic musical prodigy who brings to life the classic sound and music of BENNY GOODMAN (1909-1986) with incredible technique, style, beauty of tone and naturalness.
Dave resides in Waterford, Michigan, (born May 18, 1984 in Pontiac, MI) and began his playing at age 10 on a clarinet given to him by his grandparents. He then taught himself how to play Goodman songs by ear, listening to a tape given to him by his grandfather. Dave had his first "feature appearance" playing Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen at his 5th Grade band concert. At age 12 Dave was invited to the bandstand of the famous Sweet Basil jazz club in New York to sit in with the trumpet great Doc Cheatham.
As an early teen, a tape of Dave’s playing sent to another hero, Pete Fountain, resulted in an unprompted telephone call to Dave by Fountain, encouraging this remarkable young talent that he was "on the right track.”
By age 14 Dave started traveling frequently around America as a member of Saginaw's popular New Reformation Dixieland Band. Over the past seven years, he has played in more than a dozen American states and on Caribbean cruises with that group and other Dixie style bands.
At age 17 Bennett was selected as one of two high school students from a field of 600, to have the opportunity to perform as a special guest soloist with The Count Basie Orchestra. Dave is also a member of the recently formed Hot Club of Detroit, a group that won the 2004 Heineken New Talent Search Award for their music in the tradition of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli's Quintet of the Hot Club of France of the 1930's.
Bennett premiered his Tribute to Benny Goodman septet in November 2003, at Windsor's Capitol Theatre. The concert resulted in Dave’s first feature CD of Goodman material, released on PKO Records.
Dave Bennett has created written and "head" arrangements of many Goodman "hits" and "swing jazz classics": Moonglow, I've Got Rhythm, Body and Soul, Slipped Disc, Sing Sing Sing, Airmail Special, Breakfast Feud, Poor Butterfly and many others. Bennett's mature stage presence, knowledge of the dates and details of Goodman recordings, and his penchant for wire-rim glasses, spats and double-breasted suits, transport listeners back to the time and mood of Benny Goodman's “swing era”. In his Goodman Tribute, Dave demonstrates an uncanny ability: "copping" many of Goodman's famous "riffs" and "lines" (very close to Benny's classic recordings) balanced by substantial amounts of "free blowing" that still evokes the Goodman sound and style.
In spring 2006 Dave appeared as guest soloist in the big band of internationally recognized Canadian vibraphonist Peter Appleyard. (Appleyard, who played and recorded as a member of Benny Goodman’s band for eight years in the 1970’s, commented that “Dave Bennett is the closest in style and sound to Goodman of all the major clarinetist of the past forty years.”) Bennett also performed this season in a trio setting with legendary guitarist (and Goodman Band alumnus) Bucky Pizzarelli.
Inspiring Dave for the occasional vocal it should be noted that he is also a big fan of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and other rock and country greats. In high school Dave led his Rockabilly Rebels singing and playing lots of hot/rockin' licks on his classic Gretsch electric guitar and he keeps playing some piano (in a style like Phil Collins) while listening to bluegrass and blues and all "American roots" music.
In 2006/07 Dave brings his “Tribute to Benny Goodman” to stages in Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Florida, New Mexico and Ontario as well as many Michigan stages, including The Detroit Institute of Arts. In November 2005 Dave premiered his symphony pops Goodman program with The Columbus (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra , reviewed by the Columbus Dispatch stating “Bennett sounded a lot like Goodman, that is to say, great.” In July 2006 Dave Bennett performs with The Detroit Symphony at Meadowbrook and in that same month he will release his second CD: Remembering Benny. The album features Dave’s touring septet plus bonus tracks of his appearances with The Peter Appleyard Quintet and The Bucky Pizzarelli Trio.
At age 22 Dave’s playing now reflects a mature personal style that evokes a fortuitous and unique blending of the sounds inspired by his two idols: Benny Goodman and Pete Fountain. In the hands of this young phenomenon, the clarinet just might have its next chance at popularity.
Only time will tell where Dave Bennett's remarkable and unique musical gifts will take him. In the meantime, audiences can enjoy the important work of Dave's Goodman Tribute: bringing to the stage today the truly classic music of the greatest clarinetist of all time. And when music lovers mark Benny Goodman’s 100th birthday in 2009, it seems clear a great candidate to lead the celebrations for “The King of Swing” will be a (then) 25-year-old clarinet wizard named Dave Bennett.
Spring 2006