Jazz Articles about Daniel Bennett

About Daniel Bennett

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: The Mystery at Clown Castle

Read "The Mystery at Clown Castle" reviewed by Mike Oppenheim

by Mike Oppenheim
March 18, 2015

The Daniel Bennett Group's 2015 release The Mystery at Clown Castle, the successor to 2013's Clockhead Goes to Camp, picks up where the latter left off with a fresh and distinct new feel. The personnel has changed, with Daniel Bennett joined by guitarist Nat Janoff, bassist Eddy Khaimovich, and drummer Matthew Feick. Special guests include pianist Jason Yeager and spoken word poet Britt Melewski. Much like its predecessor, The Mystery at Clown Castle is catchy, memorable and unique. ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: The Mystery at Clown Castle

Read "The Mystery at Clown Castle" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
March 15, 2015

The Daniel Bennett Group's music is seductive. Bennett's jazz/rock tunes are bright, attractive, and relentlessly catchy: but odd meters, minimalism, hard rock guitar, and outside jazz are all lurking just below the surface. He even manages to make spoken word go down just as easily as vocals, no doubt greatly aided by the skills of guest poet Britt Melewski. The Mystery at Clown Castle (Manhattan Daylight Media, 2015) the group's sixth full-length album, also features guest pianist Jason ...

Catching Up With

Daniel Bennett: Saxophone Man

by Sammy Stein
December 15, 2013

Daniel Bennett grew up in Rochester, New York and is now based in New York. The fourth and latest album from The Daniel Bennett Group, Clockhead Goes To Camp has had positive reviews and is a resounding success. The group are busy playing all through the festive season with many gigs in libraries and small venues across the US. Though he concentrates mainly on saxophone, Daniel also plays a range of instruments including flute, oboe and clarinet. However, ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp

Read "Clockhead Goes to Camp" reviewed by Mike Oppenheim

by Mike Oppenheim
May 20, 2013

Clockhead Goes to Camp, by the Daniel Bennett Group, is a refreshing album in its originality, positivity, and apparent simplicity. There are many ways in which this is not a typical jazz album. The instrumentation is one of them. Fronted by Daniel Bennett on saxophone and clarinet, a prominent percussion background, folk inspired guitar, and a rumbling upright bass--this album could easily be filed under any number of categories in the record store.Of the 13 tracks, all originals, ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp

Read "Clockhead Goes to Camp" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
May 16, 2013

Colleague Sammy Stein said of Clockhead Goes to Camp: “Clockhead Goes to Camp is an album which is easy to listen to but not easy listening. The tone is light, mellow and uplifting yet it has enough depth to give many surprises." These adjectives all describe Daniel Bennett's music. More globally, this is music devoid of dark gravity, meaning while the music is deep it is not negatively so. This is positive, whimsical music ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp

Read "Clockhead Goes to Camp" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
May 16, 2013

Reedman Daniel Bennett's Clockhead Goes to Camp is a crystallization of the motifs explored in his previous work. The thirteen short tracks--the longest clocking at less than six minutes--are concise, crisp and deceptively simple. The intriguingly surreal ambience results from the mixture of international folk influences and futuristic minimalism.“Last Summer At Camp Creepy" is imbued with Levantine mysticism, with Bennett unfurling a poetic and passionate tale over the percussive tones of the rhythm section. Bassist Peter Brendler's oud-like ...

Album Review

Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp

Read "Clockhead Goes to Camp" reviewed by Sammy Stein

by Sammy Stein
April 30, 2013

Manhattan based saxophonist Daniel Bennett graduated from the New England Conservatory in 2004 and since then has made ever increasing waves as a composer, band leader and woodwind player in the New York theatre scene. Clockhead Goes To Camp is the Daniel Bennett Group's fourth album, following the success of the 2011 Peace and Stability Among Bears (Bennett Alliance Records). Bennett's music was described by the Boston Herald as “exploratory folk-jazz hybrid," but this album shows Bennett's playing has matured.