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Warren Benbow

About Me

Biography: Warren Benbow- drummer, songwriter, music producer and educator; b. New York, NY . Attended the High School of Performing Arts and the Mannes School of Music, both in New York City. While in high school Mr. Benbow studied drums and percussion with Warren Smith and Morris Goldenberg [of the NY Philharmonic], and at the Mannes College he studied with Walter Rosenberger [of the NY Philharmonic], and Dong Wong Park. Mr. Benbow also attended the Jazzmobile music program studying with Freddie Waits and Albert “Tootie” Heath. While studying at the Jazzmobile, Mr. Waits recommended Mr. Benbow to jazz vocalist Betty Carter, and so at 'sixteen and a half years' old Mr. Benbow joined Local 802, the musicians union in New York and began his professional career. After his education in the “Betty Carter School of Music”, Mr. Benbow continued to work and record with the likes of Nina Simone, Larry Willis with Eddie Gomez, Ted Daniel, Sonny and Linda Sharrock, Amin Ali, Michael Cain, Doug and Jean Carn, Olu Dara, Carlos Garnett, Jimmy Owens with Chris White and Kenny Baron, Charles Burnham, Weldon Irvine, Jr., Coleridge Taylor Perkinson, Ester Phillips, Alva Nelson, Frank Lowe, Orlando Rodriguez, Michael Urbaniak, Teruo Nakamura, Walter Bishop, Jr., John Stubblefield, Fred Hopkins, Billy “Spaceman” Patterson, Harry Whitaker, and James Blood Ulmer's Odyssey band. As a musician based in New York City, Mr. Benbow has also done many broadway shows, jingles and has worked with pop artists such as Whitney Houston, Gwen Guthrie, LL Cool J, S.W.V. and Mary J. Blige. Mr. Benbow has traveled around the world, performing at jazz clubs, concert halls and major music festivals in the U.S.A., Japan, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, and Great Britain among others. His name has appeared in most jazz publications including DownBeat, Jazz Times, Jazziz, Modern Drummer, Rhythm and Drums [the Japanese equivalent to Modern Drummer] and he endorses Zildjian cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks. Mr. Benbow has taught at the Drummers Collective in New York, the New School in New York and at the Manna House Workshops also in New York.