Benny Benack III
Following up his breakout 2017 debut One of a Kind, trumpeter/vocalist Benny Benack III brings his manifold talents even more bracingly into view with his sophomore outing A Lot of Livin’ to Do, featuring the great Christian McBride on bass. In his singing, songwriting, fiery trumpet playing and compelling showmanship, Benack brings a wealth of almost unheard-of virtuoso talent to the table. He reveals not only a stirring command of the post-bop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Blue Mitchell, but also a sly, mature, naturally expressive vocal delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, with superb intonation and also the kind of chops to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On A Lot of Livin’ to Do, these elements come together to reveal one of the most vibrant and multi-dimensional talents of our time.
Benack is currently the frontman, trumpeter and singer for Postmodern Jukebox, the vintage music collective famed for canny old-school covers of modern pop. He hails from Pittsburgh, a city that produced the likes of Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn and so many more, including Benny’s trumpeter/bandleader grandfather, Benny Benack, Sr. (1921-86), who recorded the Pittsburgh Pirates theme song “Beat ’Em Bucs” and toured with Tommy Dorsey and Raymond Scott, among others. Benny’s father, saxophonist/clarinetist Benny Benack, Jr., was his first musical employer. He also absorbed influences from his classically trained vocal professor mother Claudia, though he himself has never had a vocal lesson. He displays a great love for the songbook and a true gift for interpretation, not least on the duet with McBride “It Could Happen to You” — featuring an original vocalese tour de force that places Benack in the higher echelons of that unique and underappreciated art form.
