Daniel Bennett Group
Critically acclaimed New York saxophonist Daniel Bennett has
recently shared concert billings with artists like Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter, James Carter, Greg Osby, Billy
Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), and Steve Kuhn. The Boston Herald described Daniel Bennett’s music
as, “exploratory folk-jazz.” Bennett’s musical journey began as a graduate student at the
prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.
While at NEC, Bennett studied saxophone with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, and Kenneth Radnofsky.
Daniel Bennett graduated from the conservatory in 2004 and began performing as a freelance musician
with groups like the Portland Symphony, New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra, Musaner, and the
Duprees. During this time, Bennett also began composing songs that featured folk melodies played on the
saxophone in a jazz quartet format. Bennett's chord progressions also maintained a unique minimalist
quality, influenced by composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The Boston Phoenix described
Bennett's style as, "an unusual folk-minimalist approach." The music was innovative, yet remarkably
accessible to a broad spectrum of listeners. Bennett enlisted an all-star ensemble that featured guitarist
Chris Hersch, bassist Jason Davis, and Rick Landwehr on drums.
By 2007, the Daniel Bennett Group had reached thousands of listeners throughout the United States. The
bands landmark debut album, A Nation of Bears, was met with critical acclaim. The Boston Globe
described Bennett's music as, "a mix of jazz, folk, and trance." The Daniel Bennett Group released The
Legend of Bear Thompson in the spring of 2008. Metronome Magazine ranked the album in their top five
picks of the month, declaring, "the trio is so in sync with each other that it's downright mystical." In
2009, the Daniel Bennett Group released Live at the Theatre, a groundbreaking album that was recorded
during a double bill performance with the Charlie Hunter Trio at the restored Cambridge YMCA Theatre.
The Daniel Bennett Group has been featured on popular radio programs, like Harvard University's Jazz
Spectrum (WHRB 95.3FM). The group has also made television appearances on Bandwidth TV, The
Music Closet, Style Boston, and Sal's Show. Daniel Bennett's quirky music has found a broad fan base
that is unusual for most modern jazz outfits. Insite Magazine called Daniel Bennett's music, "refreshingly
capricious and trippy."
In the summer of 2010, Daniel Bennett moved to New York City where he enlisted a new cast of musicians
that included guitarist Mark Cocheo, bassist Mark Lau, and drummer Brian Adler. In the winter of 2011,
the Daniel Bennett Group organized the popular "Jazz at the Triad" concert series. The Daniel Bennett
Group currently curates and performs in this ongoing concert series. Supporting artists on the series have
included Charlie Hunter, Steve Kuhn, and Greg Osby. "Jazz at the Triad" has garnered critical acclaim
from news outlets like the Village Voice and Timeout New York.