{"id":4629,"date":"2025-06-23T15:23:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T15:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/?p=4629"},"modified":"2025-06-25T10:09:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T10:09:34","slug":"this-is-the-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theconcertwitness.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/23\/this-is-the-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Benny Benack III – This is the life \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Behind the Velvet Curtain: The Secrets of Benny Benack III \u2019s \u2018This Is The Life<\/em> \u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Listening to a well-recorded live jazz album is always a special experience. There is an intangible chemistry and spontaneity between musicians and audience that a studio recording simply cannot capture. That\u2019s exactly what trumpeter and vocalist Benny Benack III delivers on This Is The Life<\/em>, his first live album, co-produced by Christian Wiggs<\/strong><\/strong> and<\/strong> released on Bandstand Presents. A Pittsburgh native and third generation musician\u2014his grandfather was a trumpeter, and his father, Benny Benack Jr., a saxophonist featured on this record\u2014Benny brings a vibrant energy recorded live at the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor, MI, on Labor Day 2024. Joining him are stellar musicians Mathis Picard (piano), Russell Hall (bass), and Joe Peri (drums).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Dynamic and Diverse Setlist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The set features mostly jazz standards alongside a few original instrumentals by Benack and a surprising pop cover finale. From the opening title track \u201cThis Is The Life,\u201d Benny commands the stage with effortless fluency in both trumpet and vocals. His warm welcome\u2014\u201cHow are you feeling Blue Llama? Let\u2019s make a record! This is the life!\u201d\u2014sets an infectious tone of joy and energy. His seamless transitions between singing and trumpet solos make it feel like two soloists are performing simultaneously. The band\u2019s swinging groove invites listeners to stay immersed for hours, as Benack himself notes at the close of the next track, a fresh take on The Sound of Music<\/em>. His respectful yet modern interpretation incorporates a playful nod to Stevie Wonder\u2019s Sir Duke<\/em>, segueing into a bass solo by Russell Hall, affectionately dubbed \u201cCaptain Blackbeard\u201d by Benack. The tune closes with an open vamp, where musicians trade phrases and revel in the improvisational moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Originals and Intimate Ballads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSong for Our Roger,\u201d an instrumental original, pays tribute to Pittsburgh drummer Roger Humphries, who famously played on Horace Silver\u2019s Song for My Father<\/em>. Benny\u2019s father joins him here on tenor saxophone, adding a familial warmth to the track. On the samba-infused When You Are Smiling<\/em>, a Tin Pan Alley classic popularized by Louis Armstrong, Benny\u2019s father switches to clarinet, while Benny shines on scat vocals, showcasing inventive phrasing and clever lyrical citations during the stop chorus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another original, Sugar & Spice<\/em>, highlights Benny\u2019s talents not only as a trumpeter and vocalist but as a composer. The Afro-Cuban rhythm infuses the set with vibrant energy, allowing each band member space to shine\u2014Benny Jr.\u2019s bluesy tenor solo contrasts beautifully with his son\u2019s virtuosic trumpet work. The group\u2019s effortless groove shifts between Afro-Cuban and swing, leading into a brief bass-piano interplay before drummer Joe Peri takes the spotlight with a compelling solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benny\u2019s gift for ballad interpretation is clear on Crazy She Calls Me<\/em>, a tune famously recorded by Billie Holiday. Performed as an intimate duet with Picard on piano, their nuanced dynamics reveal the artistry of two exceptional musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n

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A Surprising, Playful Finale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Some Enchanted Evening<\/em> swings at a medium tempo, with Benack delivering a rhythmically and tonally complex trumpet solo that even references the tune Wee<\/em>. Spring in Manhattan<\/em>, rendered as a bossa nova, pays homage to the late Tony Bennett, featuring a dynamic piano solo from Picard, whom Benack praises, saying, \u201cMathis Picard knows a thing or two about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Pure Imagination<\/em>\u2014a whimsical 5\/4 arrangement from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory<\/em>\u2014Benack and the band display rhythmic sophistication while maintaining a soft, fluent feel. The track evolves from delicate vocals into a swinging piano solo and culminates in a playful vamp trading drum and trumpet solos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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