Rob Bennion

Nice, France was very Nice . . .

2010-10-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Free Jazz every Friday 6-9pm at 400s 180 w

2010-10-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Starting October 1st, I'll be performing every Friday with Hayley Kirkland at Quantum Ultra Lounge, 400 s 180 w Salt Lake City, Utah.

Friday Night Jazz 6-9 PM Oct 1st at Quantum

2010-09-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

I have been invited to perform at Salt Lake's newest night hangout, Quantum Lounge. Next Friday, Oct 1st I'm performing with Jeremy Abernathy on Keys, Bart Olson on Drums and Hayley Kirkland singing from 6-9pm. Looking forward to it!

Avenues Street Fair Sept 11th 2pm

2010-08-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every year I take my kids to the Avenues Street Fair. This year I decided to be a performer, and I will be performing with Hayley Kirkland from 2-3 pm on Saturday Sept 11th, on 7th ave in between I and N streets.

The Fair is a hit with families, with lots of interesting things for all ages . . . from the balloon lady to vintage clothing, live music and ethnic foods, art and information about recycling. Check it out!

The Bayou this week

2010-04-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday Apr 29th we are performing at the Bayou downtown, we performed there on Fox 13 live for "Fat Tuesday" and are excited to play there again.

Music starts at 9pm and goes until last call. The Bayou boasts great food late into the night. 21+

Hayley Kirkland will be performing with me, along with Bart Olson on drums. Check out Hayley and I performing live here:

New Group Featuring Jenna Jackman

2010-04-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have been collaborating for some time with up-and-coming artist Jenna Jackman, and we are going to begin performing now. Bart Olson and I have been performing together for the past 15 years on and off, and he will be joining us on drums.

We are going for a downtempo, electronica, and trip-hop mixed with Jenna's melodic sensibilities.

Listen to some of our samples here:
http://robbennion.com/jennajackman.html

Standing while working

2010-03-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

For the past three weeks, have tried an experiment: to stand up 100% of the time I am working, be it playing music, composing, or working on the computer in any way.

I elevated to standing-height my music keyboard, laptop, and desktop computer using my alto sax case, a cooler, a shelf, and an Ikea laptop table.

I got the idea reading this new york times article about the health benefits of standing up while working, and wanted to try it. That was three weeks ago.

The first week, I have to admit it was a challenge. My feet and joints hurt, especially my hip joint. My feet were not used to it and I had sore feet. But despite the pain and discomfort I felt better than while sitting for extended periods of time. While sitting, I had poor posture, so my back would often hurt after working for too long. No matter how many times I would try to sit up and correct my posture, soon I would slouched back into the chair and didn't think about it again until it started to hurt.

The second week, all the joint discomfort went away. I still felt tired after standing for extended periods of time, but noticed a huge difference in my overall feeling of health, and my legs began to feel rock solid. My back didn't have any discomfort, while standing I have great posture and often move around.

Now in week three, at the end of a long day at the computer I now feel like I just went for a walk, rather than a useless blob with an aching back. When I take the kids for a walk to the playground, rather than feeling sluggish and lazy about it I run and jump around with them, due to a boost in my leg strength and stamina.

I would seriously recommend that anyone who has to be at a computer for extended periods of time try the same experiment: be it writing novels, composing music, customer service, or working in an office; the health benefits are immediately felt.

Break Science: a new hybrid of great music

2010-02-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

This group continues to blow my mind. Live drummer (none other than the incredible Adam Deitch) plus super talented dj/keyboardist Borahm Lee = http://www.myspace.com/breaksciencemusic

Big Budah, the Bayou, and my band on Fox 13 today at 5pm

2010-02-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

If you missed this morning's segment on Fox 13 for Fat Tuesday with Big Budah at the Bayou, you can still catch our live performance on Fox's 5:00 evening news. We had a great time and hope to be back in the Bayou soon!

Performances Friday Feb 19th and 26th at Salsa Leedos Mexican Grill

2010-02-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

I'll be playing at Salsa Leedos on Friday Feb 19th and the next Friday Feb 26th from 6-9PM. Salsa Leedos has great food and atmosphere, I love playing there, this will be my third performance there. I have played there for private parties in the past, this time I'll be out in the open in the middle of the restaurant.
Looking forward to their amazing food! Here's their website: http://salsaleedos.net/

Appearance Tuesday on Fox 13 Morning Show

2010-02-11T21:37:00.001-08:00

Big Budah from local station Fox 13 called me and asked me to be on his Mardi Gras-themed show for Fat Tuesday. It'll be taking place in the morning at 6:15, 7:23, and 8:08 AM this coming Tuesday Feb 16th. Should be fun, he says there will be Mardi Gras dancers, cajun food, and more, filming will take place at the Bayou downtown.

21st and Ivy article/spotlight . . .

2010-02-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.twentyfirstandivy.com/2010/02/rob-bennion.html

Nate Robinson and Gracies

2010-02-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

Nate Robinson is one of the most talented guys I know. He sings and plays rhythm guitar for 2 and a half White Guys, but also plays more and more in his trio where he not only sings and plays guitar, but plays the kick and high hat with his feet.
I played in Nate's band for two years, and have to say he is consistently one of the coolest and chill people I have ever met. This I can say because I've been with him during month long tours living out of a van, and he was still cool and chill.
I played with Nate at Gracies last night, one of my favorite venues in Salt Lake City. Gracie's is Deno and Sean's bar (from the Port 'O Call) right across the street from where the Port used to be. I love reggae music and it was fun to play with Nate again.

I'm to be featured on 21st and Ivy, lifestyle website by photographer Matt Clayton

2010-02-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

There will be a Valentine's day story on me (romantic saxophone music and all) at the website http://www.twentyfirstandivy.com/

I'll post another link when the story is up. You may remember Matt from his earlier project "Square Magazine". He's a very talented photographer and really nice guy to boot.

A way to tell if you're doing well during a show LOL

2010-01-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Making minor repairs to your saxophone: it can save you a bundle!

2010-01-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have spent many dollars getting my saxophone fixed or tuned up.

When I played in the Kahuku High School Marching Band in Hawaii, with lots of rain, humidity, and sun, it really took a toll on my sax. Saxophone pads are made of leather, and expand and contract with changes in humidity, and on top of this the sax player breathes and blows into the sax with super-humidified air which collects all over the pads. Then after moving back to Utah, one of the driest places I've ever been, the pads really took a beating.

Once I took my sax into a local shop after a month long tour with a reggae group all over the states. I anticipated perhaps paying a hundred dollars or so to have it looked over and minor repairs done. The repair shop (which I will not name) called me back later and told me it'd be $300. I was reluctantly OK with this because I was experiencing some difficulties playing low notes and overall the sax seemed harder to play than before; I had to push extra hard to get the notes out. When I went back to the repair shop, I had a bill waiting for me of almost $600. After that I decided I really needed to learn how to fix my own sax. I could have bought a low end saxophone for that price!

Here are some tips I have learned over the years:

If a pad falls of or becomes loose on a gig, this can really mess you up. It usually happens when you're setting up for the gig, you find a pad fell off due to temperature change since you last played the sax. A quick fix can be made using a common cigarette lighter. The pads are held on these days by glue much like hot-glue-gun glue, so if you carefully heat the back side of the pad (the metal backing which holds the pad in place) you can re-heat the glue temporarily to get it back in place. Be careful not to burn the leather of the pad, or the felt on your buttons. This is only an emergency fix solution, which can leave black streaks on your horn if you are not careful.
One of the coolest tips I've learned over the years uses Old English Wood Oil, some rubber bands, and an old paintbrush. A local sax technician taught me this; a way to refurbish and seal your pads overnight.
The idea is that over time your pads get worn, dried out, and suffer minor adjustments which can cause leaks. A "leak" in your saxophone, i.e. an area where the pad doesn't perfectly seal when you press down the key, can cause the problems I described when I returned from the reggae tour. This trick fixes most minor leaks, protects your pads against damage, and generally improves how your sax will perform.
You take a small amount of lemon oil into the paintbrush, and spread it evenly over each of your pads on your saxophone. Use enough to coat each pad, it won't hurt your pads or other parts of your saxophone. As you do this your pads will soak up the oil and become dark.
One you have coated each pad, take rubber bands (also pipe cleaners can be useful) to firmly close each pad and seal it off. I wrap the rubber band around the pad/key and the body of the instrument, tying or hooking it in such a way that it seals off the pads and keeps pressure evenly on each one. Be careful as you do this not to bump or damage the complex series of corks and felts surrounding your keys.
Once you have sealed off all of the pads on your horn, put the sax in your case and leave it overnight, with the pads treated and pressure from the rubber bands keeping them sealed.
The next day, your sax will perform like it has just been through a tune-up at the shop.

For my final tip, you will need to go to the pharmacy. A common problem and constant battle each sax player faces is the littlest yet most important part of your saxophone: the bamboo reed.
At your local pharmacy or grocery store, ask for "lanolin". Women use this while breastfeeding to sooth the parts the baby chews on (babies are rough!). It's sheep oil. If you coat your reed with this, it works like magic to preserve and lengthen the life, of your reeds. Take a small amount of the lanolin on your finger (it is of the consistency of Vaseline) and rub it into your reed. You'll be amazed at the difference!

Recording your kids

2010-01-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to record your infant's baby talk and set it to music? Or do you have a small child who loves to sing? Listen to some samples I have made in the past with my own kids:
http://www.robbennion.com/mp3s/changeiscoming.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/babysong.mp3

I have a selection of music, or if you have an idea in mind for a song I also compose music. Listen to some of my past compositions here: http://www.robbennion.com/composition.html

I am a Salt Lake City musician who can come to your house and record your child with my laptop and microphone, or if you prefer you can come to my house. It usually works best if the child is comfortable and happy (i.e. napped and fed). I live downtown in the Avenues Salt Lake City.

For more information about me (I am a father of two little ones myself) please visit my website http://www.robbennion.com

Thanks!

Restaurant performance at Christopher's Seafood and Steakhouse

2010-01-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

I played this weekend at Christopher's downtown. It was a lot of fun, they were extremely busy and the tables were full all night with a line at the door.
I played 3 sets, performing a mix of standards and my own compositions, as well as some fun pop songs and other covers.
At the end of the night I got some of the best food I've had in a long time. Anyone interested in great food and and a high-class atmosphere should check out Christopher's.

Writeup about our performance in the Tribune

2009-12-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

I contacted the David Burger, the Trib's Entertainment Reporter, and he made a writeup about our gig tomorrow: http://blogs.sltrib.com/burger/index.php?p=8355&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

NYE jazz 8pm-12 midnight

2009-12-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

Performance at Zanzibar next week

2009-12-18T23:11:00.001-08:00

Downtempo/Electronica music

2009-12-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some gigs with djs, and by myself, and now I'm going to try out performing my downtempo/electronica compositions with a live drummer. Listen to what it sounds like:

http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/painfuldemo.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/aganjudemo.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/sneakydemo.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/simplesmentedemo.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/lamentodemo.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/downtempo/sadnessdemo.mp3

I really enjoy playing different musical styles. Over the years I have performed in reggae, hip-hop, blues, ska, rock, pop, latin, brazilian, concert, and of course jazz bands. The downtempo/electronic music is a very fun and different musical style, yet very accessible for audiences.

DJ + SAX + FLUTE = GREAT MUSIC

2009-12-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I performed a set with a dj down at the Hotel/club elevate for a VIP red-carpet party on a Saturday night. It was a lot of fun and people were very receptive to the sax and flute mixed with downtempo, electronica, and trip-hop.
Since then I've been composing some downtempo songs of my own, and have aquired equipment to be able to dj while performing on the sax and flute. It's a lot of fun for me and a way to create an accessible style of music while maintaining the improvisational quality of a live musician.
Adding a live drummer, the energy goes up even more. I run the "turntables" (digital turntables that is) while performing on the flute or sax with my effects pedals including delays, harmonization, octave dropper, etc; while the drummer keeps the beat going.
Jazz music as a genre has always been about innovation and incorporating new elements. If anyone has heard any of the Verve Remixes, that is the type of sound we are going for. The mix of the organic acoustic instruments (sax, flute, live drums) with the elecronic and pre-recorded sounds sets a very cool ambiance.

NYC Fashion show recap

2009-11-24T05:39:00.000-08:00

I had a blast in NYC this weekend playing at the fashion show/talent showcase. Diana from Suede marketing truly knows how to take care of her clients, and everyone was very welcoming. I played two sets, broken up by comedian "Shorty" who proceeded to make fun of everyone in the audience, including me, the "white chocolate from Utah with 5 wives, recruiting for his 6th wife". He was hilarious.

The event was held at the Mt Vernon AAC (African American Club) and I was so happy to have the opportunity to play for such an enthusiastic crowd that was so into jazz music. Typically at events I get a lot of requests for music that is not jazz, but here they asked me to play Coltrane, couldn't ask for a better place to play.

The clothing designer had some really stunning pieces, she weaves them all herself.

I was especially happy to be able to meet so many of the members at the club, and learned about a lot of other places in town that I could potentially perform at.

Diana coordinated everything and made it an amazing evening. I'd go back and play there again in a heartbeat, and hope for another opportunity.

Fashion show performance tonight in NYC

2009-11-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Brought to you by SMB

Featuring Michi Designer Knitwear and Pottery by Ron Brown & the smooth Jazz Sounds of Rob Bennion
For one night only ! Fashion & Art join under one roof along with Jazz and Comedy!
When Fashion and Art Meet..... a fire ignites!!

An Evening of Fashion and Art!

This amazing evening was a mere fantasy in the mind of it's creator Diana Barnes, Owner of Suede Management Booking & Management (SMB). Diana is currently an Instructor at adult vocation school, and an accountant outside of her Booking & Management business.

Hosted by Comedian "Shorty", Music by International touring saxophonist and composer. Rob Bennion and Featuring an amazing Showcase by Michi Designer Knitwear and Pottery by Ron Brown.

**Just added**... the AMAZING Sound of Saxaphonist, Rob Bennion!!

Rob spent his first few years living on a farm in rural Utah. According to Bennion's mother, Rob was singing to himself long before he learned how to speak.
After the family moved to Houston, Rob picked up the saxophone, which became Bennion’s musical passion and pursuit.

Bennion furthered his education at Brigham Young University, playing in various groups from the big bands to small combos. He Studied privately with saxophone legend Ray Smith and played in percussion guru Jay Lawrence’s salsa combo, as well as renowned composer Christian Asplund’s experimental groups, the clarinet choir, saxophone quartet, Celtic, ragtime and jazz combos. During school Bennion joined nationally-touring reggae band Two-and-a-half White Guys, touring the United States and Canada. Rob's own trio No Street played his original compositions, and he played in the Peery Blues Project and Salsa band Orquesta Caribe. He played lead tenor and lead alto alternately in local big bands as well as smaller jazz groups. There he met his Costa Rican wife Nicolle.

In 2005 Rob Bennion relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where he played saxes, flute, clarinet, and effects pedals in various groups, including Brazilian group Bossanossa, progressive rock band Cramer, and party band Plan B.

In 2006 the Bennions moved to Marugame, Japan. Rob Bennion was the artist in residence playing 6 nights a week at Marugame's Saso Luxury Club.

Rob Bennion returned to the United States summer 2007, where he currently composes, performs, and collaborates with musicians ranging in styles from Salsa to Hip-Hop. As a husband and father, a fluent speaker of Spanish and Portuguese; Rob's life experience comes through in his compositions and performances.

In October 2008 Rob was the headlining performer at the Okayama Jazz Festival and other jazz clubs. He was also featured as the musical guest on KJZZ TV Channel 14's "Cooking Delight" with Jennifer Burns. He has composed theme music for the Mayan Restaurant, various video games and TV pilots, and short films. Please visit www.RobBennion.com for more information.

**********
Your Host & MC for this fabulous evening is Comedian "Shorty" noted for his appearances in a television pilot for BET called "Busted" (aired April 12, 2008-check BET.com for more details), the 2008 Los Angeles Comedy Festival, VH1's 100 Greatest Hip Hop Videos (aired in early 2009) and comedian Talent's (weekly comedy show) and Hot 97's DJ Enough's comedy spot in Manhattan, NY.

**********
Michi Designer Knitwear by Michele Walden

Michi Designer Knitwear by Michele Walden designs are easily recognized by the designer, Michele M Walden's signature lace effect , created on her one of a kind garments. Michele's unique eye for detail, style and fit is phenomenal. Michi Designer Knitwear has been featured at the Essence Music Festival and is now being featured in upcoming Fashion Showcase & Art Gallery this Saturday November 21, 2009 "Principals of Love" Fashion Show, Art Gallery, Jazz & Comedy.
**********
Art by Ron Brown (Pottery by Ron Brown)

A teacher of African American History, African History 1 and 2.
States."

Ron's mask's can be seen this Saturday at the Exclusive "Principles of Love"

By Popular Demand: New Music for a new generation

2009-10-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Over the past year I have performed and DJ'd many events and wedding receptions, and have had many clients request current hip-hop and R&B songs during the dance portion of the event. There is a real demand for a band that can play the current chart-toppers, a band that could do hip-hop and R&B songs which MTV is currently playing.

I wanted to tell you about a new addition to my band . . . rapper 2uce Betta from Indianapolis. Together with LA native Hayley Singley, my band does what no other Salt Lake city band can do: we play popular R&B and hip-hop music, from classics like Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean", "Rapper's Delight" and the Beastie Boys to current chart-toppers like Beyonce and Jay-Z, Estelle and Kanye West, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Generation Xers are now CEOs, CFOs, and getting married by the droves. This party band, the only one of its kind, can really push the boundaries of live music. Keeping in mind that we are still well-versed in the classics from the Jazz/Blues/Pop songbooks such as the Beatles, Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and many others. We can really keep the dance floor packed. Click here for demos and info about the group: http://www.robbennion.com/theband.html

Recap and more pictures from the Okayama Jazz Festival Last year

2009-10-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Soul and Jazz singer Alicia Saldenha wrote a great recap of our experiences performing for the Okayama Jazz Festival last year. Check it out for her take on the festival and the great city Okayama for hosting such a fun festival:

http://alicia.kansaiblogger.com/2008/12/06/okayama-jazz-festival-with-rob-bennion-report-pics/

Musicians and Event planners coordinating to make the event a success

2009-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Over the years my bands have performed at many many events of all shapes and sizes. I've played acoustic background music with a small instrumental jazz quartet for backyard wedding receptions with an intimate gathering of close friends and relatives. I've had my bigger band play for large corporate events at the Salt Palace, providing the main entertainment for a seated convention crowd of 8,000; with rehearsed timing and entrances, boosted with huge speakers and complicated audio-visuals to accompany the music.

No matter the size or complexity of the event, it is essential to communicate well with the event planner, whether it's the bride herself or an events expert from a large company. This communication may be as simple as emails back and forth, or as complex as multiple meetings or long phone calls going over the needs and plans for the event to go off without a hitch.

A few things which I have learned over the years which are important for the musician to discuss with the event planner:

1. Music Style. Often a client requests a mellow jazz band for their wedding reception but once the reception begins they start to request popular dance music. For this reason I've greatly expanded the repertoire of my band and vocalist, so that we are prepared to do the modern chart-toppers.

2. Special requests. Determine the Daddy-daughter and First Dance numbers long before the night of the reception. A request for an obscure song made the night of an event usually can't be fulfilled . . . plan ahead with the client so that expectations are clear and can be met.

3. What to do in case of a need for en extended performance time. Let's say the company party got to a late start, or the wedding reception is going so well that everyone wants to stay and party longer than the planned time. This is a common eventuality which must be discussed beforehand. If an agreement is reached before the event starts then the event planners and musicians already have a clear plan of action should the client choose to extend their party.

4. Will the band be served dinner? This seems small but can be a big deal if the band is playing starting in the evening going until late. Plan early to stay within expectations.

5. What is the band going to be wearing? Tuxes or concert black are the most common, but sometimes there is a certain look and feel desired . . . such as a mardi gras party, or a new year's marquerade ball, etc.

New songs are a hit!

2009-10-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

We played a wedding on Thursday performing the new songs in our repertoire. It was a lot of fun to see the look on people's faces when we started our dance set. We'd been playing fun jazz, latin, and bossa-nova songs up to the first dance and daddy0daughter dances. Then when we played "Hey Ya" by Outkast, people started dancing and coming over to check out what was going on. We had a bunch of people rush up and start requesting songs, when we played "American Boy" by Estelle I heard a girl say, "I Love this song!" to her friends.

I look forward to playing many more events which ask us to play current and modern songs.

Auto Tune

2009-10-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Fun with an Auto-tuner: http://www.kottke.org/09/04/auto-tune

Auto-tuner is so prevalent in modern pop music . . . I wonder if I could get away with it on my saxophone . . . it'd be way easier than trying to stay in tune!

2uce Betta joins the Rob Bennion Band

2009-09-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

It's been great working with 2uce on our collaboration "Robot Dream" (http://www.myspace.com/therobotdream) He is a very talented rapper and singer as well.

My band is going to showcase him so that we can largely expand our repertoire for events that call for dance music, playing current pop, hip-hop and R&B music (and the classics too).

Listen to a sample, our version of Estell and Kanye's :American Boy" notice how smooth 2uce sounds, and Hayley's great R&B stylings: http://www.robbennion.com/mp3s/americanboy.mp3

Robot Dream

2009-09-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

After meeting and rehearsals and various brainstorming sessions, I'm happy to announce my new band "Robot Dream" featuring Indianapolis rapper 2uce Betta. Bart Olson, drummer extraordinaire, will be filling out the trio as I play electronic and acoustic wind instruments. Bart and I go back to my junior year in high school when we played in a band called "The Shriners." Since then he's performed all over geographically and musically, performing in a variety of bands, most recently drumming for Ryan Shupe. Here's a link to 2uce Betta's website: http://www.2ucebetta.com

The concept of the group is life through the eyes of a Robot (or "Flo-bot" in this case). Universal themes of unrequited love, anxiety, fitting in, paranoia, and having a great time will be illustrated by 2uce's unique rapping style over Portishead/Massive-Attack style electronica created by acoustic and synth instruments played by Bart and myself. Listen/download a demos of the band here: http://robbennion.com/mp3s/originals/robotdemo.mp3

2uce will also be performing with my regular event band. Over the past year I have performed and DJ'd many events and wedding receptions, and have had many clients request current hip-hop and R&B songs during the dance portion of the event. There is a real demand for a band that can play the current chart-toppers, a band that could do hip-hop and R&B songs which MTV is currently playing.

Together with LA native Hayley Singley and rapper 2uce, my band does what no other Salt Lake city band can do: we play popular R&B and hip-hop music, from classics like Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean", "Rapper's Delight" and the Beastie Boys to current chart-toppers like Beyonce and Jay-Z, Estelle and Kanye West, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Generation Xers are now CEOs, CFOs, and getting married by the droves. This party band, the only one of its kind, can really push the boundaries of live music. Keeping in mind that we are still well-versed in the classics from the Jazz/Blues/Pop American songbook such as the Beatles, Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and many others. The object is to the dance floor packed.

The Salt Lake Tribune's pop music/pop culture writer recently wrote about the new band: http://blogs.sltrib.com/burger/index.php?p=3208&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Performance

2009-09-03T09:40:00.001-07:00

This year again my band is performing at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Orem at the Scera Shell amphitheater. It'll be this Saturday . . . if you're already going to the festival or haven't heard about it, we're performing just before the "Laughing Night" at the Scera shell (outdoors). Its agreat band, with Bart Olson on drums (from Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband and earlier the Shriners if you knew me in high school), Hayley Singley Kirkland (last month she sang the national anthem at an LA Dodgers game, she's the regular singer in my band) and guitarist Kenji Aihara (japanese ninja guitarist master).

We're performing from 6:45 to 8pm. Hope to see you there! Nicolle and the kids will be there as well . . .

New cd by the Rob Bennion Band

2009-08-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

I just finished another jazz album, I'd like to share it with you. If you go to this link you can listen to samples from the album: http://www.robbennion.com/natureboy.html

Also I have remixed some of the songs, here you can listen to the remixes featuring local rappers:

http://robbennion.com/mp3s/myfunnyrmx.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/natureboyrmx.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/canthelprmx.mp3
http://robbennion.com/mp3s/atlastrmx.mp3

Thanks for listening!

Martin Luther King and Jazz

2009-04-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Opening Address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival.

God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.This is triumphant music.Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in America there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith.In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.

World Music Benefit Concert Friday March 20th

2009-03-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

This week I played with Brazilian music group "Jinga Boa", had a great time. On Friday we will perfom again for Benefit to fund clean water projects in Africa, at Pierpont place downtown:
Pierpont Place
163 Pierpont Ave.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101

Jinga Boa is a band made of mostly percussion instruments, with George Brown singing and playing cavaquinho (ukalele) and guitar. I play sax sometimes but mostly flute. Listen to some music here: http://www.robbennion.com/jinga.html

Hope to see you on Friday!

Sound for Film

2009-03-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did sound for a period film from the 1950s called "Inspector 42". I switched off doing boom and mixer, learned all the terminology and how to run the mixer. This is the second set I've done sound on, the first being a new Fox Sports show that will air this summer.

I have also been composing a lot for different media projects, I did music for the Valentine's day KUED "Utah Now" with Doug Fabrizio show, and also did all the music for the Fox Sports Show airing this summer. I am working on a pilot about air gliding and am doing the music for Michael VanOrden's film "Spit" www.spitmovie.com".

I enjoy composing and have a desire to move in that direction more and more, although I still perform regularly.

Shameless self-promotion

2009-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of composing lately, I did theme music for "The Mayan" restaurant, did some pieces for an upcoming KUED program with Doug Fabrizio, and am working on scoring my friend Mike's short film "spit".

Nostalgia for simpler times . . .

2009-01-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a flashback for anyone who played NES as a kid:

http://www.robbennion.com/mp3s/zlatin.mp3

I recorded this today with bari, alto, and tenor saxophones.

New Year's fundraiser for Women's Abuse Prevention Fund

2009-01-05T11:24:00.000-08:00

This New Year's Eve I performed for the Women's Abuse Prevention Fundraiser in Salt Lake City. We had a wonderful time and Nicolle looked amazing!

Top 5 movie scores from 2008

2009-01-01T23:45:00.000-08:00

What are your favorite music scores from 2008? Here are my top 5:

1. Alexander Desplat's score for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. I saw this with my family on Christmas day. Big budget high production, with all the resources to make an epic soundtrack.

2. Thomas Newman's WALLE. As a father of two little monkeys, FINDING NEMO is always on the TV is our apartment, and I recognized some of the same styles and motifs going on. I loved the allusions to Star Wars throughout. Kudos to Peter Gabriel for the closing credits song (the use of the electric organ with a bit of distortion was perfect!)

3. Hanz Zimmer and James Newton Howard's score for THE DARK KNIGHT coupled with Heath Ledger's performance made this movie one of the best of the year for me. Sometimes jarring, the music fit the movie well.

4. After living for a year and then recently touring Japan again, I absolutely love the asian drums and instruments in KUNG FU PANDA. Hanz Zimmer and John Powell got it goin on. I loved Jack Black's interjections into "Kung Fu Fighting" sung by Cee-lo Green. As a flute player that song is dear to my heart, along with "Car Wash" ;)

5. As a sax player, I love the funky sounds of John Powell's score for HANCOCK. Plus my wife thinks Will Smith is hot so we can watch it as much as possible.

Jazz music workshop in local elementary school

2008-12-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

Today I visited ms Edwards and Zaugg's classes to give a short presentation about jazz music. I played a little bit and each class recorded a song. The kids came up with the words and I was amazed at how talented they were.

I promised the kids I'd put mp3s of their songs here so they can play them for their folks at home later, so here they are:

Ms Edward's class:

http://www.robbennion.com/mp3s/msedwards.mp3

Ms Zaugg's class:

http://www.robbennion.com/mp3s/mszaugg.mp3

Christmas album . . .

2008-11-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my Christmas album, here are some samples:
http://www.robbennion.com/christmas.html

Contact me if you'd like to get a copy!

The McCune Mansion

2008-11-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

My latest electronic addition has been the EV wireless mic system. I absolutely love it. For this gig the client asked for us to serenade the tables at a large party. This would require walking away from the band (Hayley the singer and I) to "serenade" each table as we performed.
I'd done this before with backing tracks and a DJ at the Hotel Westin Dallas, but never with a live band, nor in multiple rooms rather than one big ballroom.
I was apprehensive at first, because I wasn't sure how well our sound would carry and if the band would hear us.
I set up my Mackie powered speakers and monitors, and hooked up the EV for a test run before anyone arrived. It was crystal clear all over the mansion, in different rooms.

The serenading was a big hit, and I think I'll talk to future clients about the option. I'll get a wireless system for my saxophone, though, as Hayley had to hold the mic up to my sax so the band back with the PA could hear.

We were able to lend the mic for speeches by the client, and overall I am extremely happy with my PA and wireless setup.
Here's the McCune mansion, we played our first set on the first floor for cocktail hour, then went upstairs for the dinner set with our serenading, then back downstairs as the guests had dessert. In order to make this work, we set up two seperate pa systems, with two drumsets, two bass amps, etc. When our first set was over we just carried our instruments upstairs and played there.
Set up and tear-down took forever, but it was great to have the flawless changeover between sets.

Here's the room on the 3rd floor where we performed for dinner. We were set up right in front of the balcony window, with a nice view of the temple.

There were a few stressful moments during the night, like when 3 of my band members called to say police had blocked off both state street and west temple because of the prop 8 protests. Luckily the band was able to get through the traffic and we were set up with about 15 mins to spare before downbeat.

The other stressful moment is actually pretty funny . . . just as we were to begin our first set and the guests were arriving, I bent down to pick up my flute and rrrriiiiipppp there went my tuxedo trousers, right in the front. Luckily my Brandon had an extra safety pin and I got it pinned back up. Denson told me that I should always wear black underwear underneath the tuxedo in case anything like that ever happens. Time to either lose some weight or get bigger tuxedo pants I guess.

Duty calls . . .

2008-11-04T09:09:00.001-08:00

Playing the Flute

2008-11-04T08:22:00.001-08:00

Some people take doubling lightly. I think it's a very important part of playing . . . but you can't treat it merely as a "double" . . . doubles need to be played as if they were the principle instrument.

A "double" in musician's lingo (specifically sax players) is an extra instrument that you "double" on or also play, typically flute and clarinet. Big band playing requires that you can play multiple saxophones (i.e. soprano), clarinet, and flute. Occasionally you may need to play bass clarinet or oboe, or even piccolo.

Doubles are a challenge for everyone . .. after years of playing just one instrument and achieving a professional level, all of a sudden you're required to pick up another instrument and perform in the same professional setting . . . it can be daunting.

For me, I had to treat each "double" as if I were learning a completely new instrument. Although the fingurings are similar on the clarinet and flute as they are for the saxophone, there are huge difference (like Spanish and Portuguese). Starting with simple scales and moving to more complex, I had to spend about 2 hours daily for a 6 month period on the flute before I was somewhat satisfied with my sound.

Ray Smith, my saxophone guru, told me to practice classical flut rather than jazz, that if I learned to make a good classical sound the jazz would take care of itself. I got some James Galway cds, and Dave Valentine, and the Carribbean Jazz Project cds, and dug in, transcribing and imitating their sound as best I could. I foced myself to play at least one song on the flute at my gigs . . . that made me really practice hard to have th motivation to not sound like an idiot at the gig, I learned "Girl from Ipanema" and "Wave", and eventually started playing in a brazilian group which called for mostly flute. Performing in salsa-merengue bands required that I played high notes on th flute, something that totally eluded me for a long time.

In Costa Rica, my mother in law Guiselle bought me a cane flute for my birthday, and I fell in love. I bought a full 2.5 octave samponia (pan flute) and hve used that for recordings and for fun.

The flute was a worthy foe, and I still struggle withcertain aspects of it, but now I bring my flute to every performance. Playing the song "Nicolle" at the Okayama Jazz Festival in Japan on the flute was an exhilirating experience, I love playing the flute.

Ballet West at the Grand America was a lot of fun!

2008-11-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday we performed for Ballet West's annual gala, last year it was at the Marriott, this year at the Grand America.

It was fun to have so many people dancing, people really got up out of their seats and moved!

We played 3 sets, first instrumental jazz, then Swing and big-band type music, then party and dance favorites.

Here was our set list:
8:45 dinner starts (instrumental) -9:45
Autumn Leaves (Gm)
I Let a Song Go out of my Heart
Misty
My One and Only Love
All The Things you Are
Night in Tunisia
In a Sentimental Mood
Wave
Take Five
My Favorite Things
Nature Boy
There will never be another you
Like Someone in Love
Take the A Train
Girl from Ipanema
Body and Soul
Prisoner of Love
Corcovado
Nearness of You

desert is done:

2nd set 9:45-11:00: swing music with vocals.
All of Me
Let's Fall in Love
Mack the Knife (starts on Bb, solos over D6 section)
It had to be You
My Way
How high the Moon
Charade (AABA solos AAB)
Fever (Am)
Way You Look Tonight (the) (F)
At Last (No intro)
Don't get Around much anymore (C)
Fly Me to the Moon
It's only a paper moon
Almost like Being in Love

Dance set:

Summertime (funky)
Moondance
Aint no sunshine
Brick House
Caravan
Georgia on my Mind
Use Me
Superstitious
My Funny Valentine
Oye Como Va
Killing me Softly
RESPECT
You are the Sunshine of my Life
Lady Marmelade

Final Song:What a Wonderful World

KJZZ TV musical guest for "Cooking Delight show this week

2008-10-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

Kenji, Denson, and Hayley were there with me . . . I always feel lucky to play with such great musicians.
Today my band had the opportunity to perform as musical guests on Jennifer Burns' KJZZ tv show "Cooking Delight. We performed jazz classics and Hayley sang with us for the final two numbers.

Please check out their website and this Saturday November 1st at 4pm or Sunday Nov 2nd at 2pm see the show (http://cookingdelight.tv/Past-Shows/Nov-1-2/nov-1-2-spa.html)

Performances in Japan

2008-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Larry Marshal, pictured above playing drums, is an incredible player. Listen to some of his past recordings (along with Phillip Strange on Piano) here.
Kazuki Iida was incredible on the keyboard. Hi intuition as a musician anticipated anything I wanted to do, and he created beautiful canvasses of chords over which the solos and melodies came very naturally. Check out his myspace page here, and his website here.
Toshiya Kasamatsu performed exceptionally on bass, laying down the groove with Larry.

It was great to perform with Alicia Saldenha. She's an up-and coming vocalist from Trinidad who's lived in Japan long enough to learn the language, and we talked a lot about her first album which is in the works. She has great talent and I wouldn't be surprised to see her name in big places somewhere down the road. Check out some of her youtube performances here.

This past week I headlined the Okayama Jazz festival in Japan, it was great. I love how appreciative Japanese audiences are of Jazz music . . . they listen intently to every song, and applaud after solos . . .

Here's an article with more pictures from the performance (Be forewarned it's in Japanese).

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Performance

2008-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is a celebration of storytelling, folklore, and the interesting art of spinning tales which attracts around 10,000 people each year to Utah Valley.
We had the priviledge of being the headlining musical event at this year's festival.

The music organizer for the event had this to say about our performance:

"Rob Bennion and the group of musicians who make up his band are amazing. Rob’s band kept an eclectic mix of 2500 folks happy for more than an hour. Rob’s music was meant to be “pre-game show” music, but what happened was wonderful – the outdoor audience, waiting for the main show, quit visiting and listened to a tight, dynamic, powerful, enthusiastic group of musicians with tunes that took them from Chattanooga to Ipanema and back. Rob is a phenomenal musician of his own accord, and he surrounded himself with musicians who truly complimented each other. I was so pleased with the Rob Bennion Band’s performance that I instantly booked them for a private party, and I will place Rob top on my list for musicians I am happy to work with. And – Rob is the model gentleman. ."

Ronda Walker Weaver – Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Committee member over Music, Board Member Timpanogos Singer Songwriter Alliance [TSSA]

Today's lesson is about being prepared for a performance. There are many different types of performances, from playing background music at a restaurant to a festival crowd where ou are the main event people paid to come see. Here are some tips to help you be better prepared for your next gig:

1. Knowing your audience is crucial to pulling off a great performance. What age group is the crowd going to be? Think of which songs and what style to play them in. If you're performing for a wedding reception, you won't want to pull out the hard-rockin' blues chart, unless it's later in the night and people are wanting to dance to a blues song. Be sensitive especially about volume levels. In a restaurant setting, play it safe and be as quiet as possible, volume will naturally increase during the course of a performance as the night goes on.

2. Get feedback from the people in charge/people who hired you. If playing at a bar/restaurant, ask the waiters/bartenders about your volume, song choices, get whatever feedback you can. these are the people the manager will talk to to see if you get to come back again. Make especially sure to motivate the crowds to tip their waiters/waitresses/bartenders well, this gets you extra points. Get feedback before, during, and after a performance.

3. Make a set list beforehand, but don't be afraid to alter it as you go. A well-chosen set list gives the band time to prepare and think about the songs before you announce it on the bandstand. It gives you and others peace of mind and cuts down on time between songs. When making the list, keep your audience, band members, the venue, ll aspects of the performance in mind. A good way to organize your set is to perform 3-4 songs in a row with little to no break in between, then take a 20-30 second breather to talk to the crowd, let the band rest a second. Audiences like to have a breather and talking helps increase anticipating for the next song (in moderation of course!)

4. Take good care of your band members, treat them well and the overall performance will be much better. Bring water for them, help everyone with their gear, compliment them on their playing, etc. Making sure they all know beforehand what to expect as far as times, dress, songs, instrumentation, will avoid confusion and possible conflicts.

5. Whenever possible, carpool. This gives you time to chat and get over nerves on the way to a performance, as well as to ensure that you arrive together and on time. When I perform, I like to bring my rythm section with me, so that even if some members are late, the basics are covered.

6. Be adaptable to the needs and wants of your audience. Take requests when possible, extend songs when people are dancing, change your set list to keep the crowd engaged.

Bebop licks a mouse click away

2008-09-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

In previous posts I've discussed improvisation.

"Licks" are certain note patterns which can be played over chord changes. Learning certain licks and patterns is important so that you can recreate cool sounds on the bandstand which you worked on in the practice room.

This site (http://bopland.org/) is great for learning and practicing licks which you can then put into your solos.

Have fun, it's a great database of some of the coolest licks around!

Playalongs: a way to get experience playing with jazz changes

2008-09-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

Playalongs and backing tracks are a great way for the experienced or inexperienced jazz improvisor to improve their sound. Playalong books/cds can be purchased online, or go here for Ralph Pat's playalong directory, listen to or download these backing tracks for free.

A playalong is no replacement for the real-life interaction one gets by performing with other jazz artists. Jazz is like a conversation between the musicians, and if the band behind you is just a recording, then there's no 2-way interaction. That said, they are still a great resource to develope ideas, get the feel of performing live, and soloing over real changes.

Some tips for getting the most out of your practice with playalong tracks:

1. To develope better intonation, practice holding long tones over the playalong. For example, if the Chord is CMaj7, practice holding one of the chord tones, C, E, G, B, or D. See if you can lock in completely to the pitch and intonation on the playalong.

2. Practice your arpeggios ver the changes. Try starting from the bottom up, then the top down, then do specific excersizes like playing the 3rd, then 5th, then 7th; or 5, 7,3; or 9, 5, 7, 3, etc.

3. Try to stay only within a certain interval on your horn. For example, only play notes for one chorus between middle C and Octave G. This creates a challenge.

4. Try to develop specific motifs and play them over all the changes. For example, 1231 would be CDEC in Cmaj, FGAF in Fmaj, BbCDbBb in Bbmin, etc.

5. Try being the bass player for a chorus. Many backing tracks have the bass in one speaker, and the piano/guitar in the other. Try turning down/disconnecting the bass side and play the bass lines on your horn.

6. Try to develop your solos, in the following ways:
1. Dynamically: Quiet to loud, or loud to quiet. Start the solo one dynamic and build/diminuendo to the opposite dynamic.
2. Rythmically: Simple to complex, or vice versa.
3. Develop a motif/theme: Try to play like Sonny Rollins.
4. Bebop: Try to play like Charlie parker.
5. Imitate a particular sound/player's style.
6. Copy the rythm section. Pretend to be a drummer, to be a trumpet, to be a piano player, etc.

Playalongs can be great resources, and you can try out things in your room before playing them in public.

My advice after 15+ years of performance

2008-07-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

After over 15 years of paid performance, my advice to the young saxophonist is to stay in the game. Keep involved regardless of wht level. When this picture was taken, I was 17 and playing in a funk band. I wasn't sure where the saxophone would take me. I knew I enjoyed it and I tried to practice a few hours every day.
Now the saxophone pays all of my bills. It's my only job: tonight I'll perform jazz at a wedding reception then reggae at a club. Tomorrow I'm performing in the street for a city gallery stroll with a singer and my backing tracks. The next day I'm performing at a Mardi-Gras themed company party with my 7-piece band. Next week I'm performing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at wedding receptions. This takes care of me and my family (wife and two kids). I had no idea when I was 17 that it could do this.
Lesson for today: stay in the game. Keep involved however minimally, don't let your instrument collect dust. Even if it's just taking it out for 15 minutes, try to play every day, no matter how you feel about it.

Learning to improvise

2008-07-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Improvisation is the art of making up a solo on the spot. The notes you play form melodies and interesting sounds over the chord progression beneath you. Improvisation doesn't just involve the soloist, however. The whole group interacts with the soloist much like a conversation between friends. The soloist with "say" something, the bass player responds, then the pianist, etc.

Soloing seems daunting for the beginning player. What should I play? Which notes are the right ones in this song? Keep in mind that improvisation is a lifelong learning process, something which can always be improved and explored. Here are a few simple thing to try to get yourself started soloing:

1. Learn your scales/keys. Start with the 12 major keys, then learn the minor keys, then dominant, etc. For a good reference on keys look here: (compiled by Paul Elkouss). Start with the "easier" keys, C, G, F, etc.

2. Become familiar with your instrument. Try to imitate songs, play them in different keys. For example, "Mary had a Little Lamb" can be played in the key of C:
E D C D E E E, D D D, E G G
Now try to play the song starting on an A (key of F), then try starting on other notes.

3. Play along with songs you like, figure out how to play them "by ear". By ear means without looking at music or someone telling you which notes to play, you just figure it out on your own, "by ear".

4. Try to balance the difficult activities with the fun activities. Many students quit playing the saxophone because they find it's not as fun as when they first started, it gets "too hard". Discipline yourself by practicing the hard stuff first (scales, excersizes) then the fun stuff (learning your favorite song, playing by ear).

Welcome to my blog

2008-07-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My name is Rob Bennion, professional saxophonist and band-leader. I would like to help you to play the saxophone, no matter what level you are, beginner to professional, I think we can always learn from each other. Thanks to technology this is made much easier and I can publish this from the comfort of my own home while my kids are sleeping!

I am a Salt Lake City jazz musician who does this full-time. I've been playing the sax for nearly 20 years, and getting paid for it for 15 of those years. I'd love to share my experiences with you and the tips I've learned over the years on how to perfect your art and get the gig.

Welcome to my blog, come back often!