Benevento/Russo Duo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Duo at the State Theatre - March 2, 2006

The Benevento/Russo Duo (or "The Duo" for short) is an alternative jazz/rock outfit hailing from New York City. The band consists of Marco Benevento on organ and keyboards and Joe Russo on drums, whose acquaintance can be traced back to junior high school in New Jersey.

The Duo began in 2001 when Russo secured a weekly gig at New York's Knitting Factory music club and asked Benevento to join him on the Hammond B3 organ. By 2003 the band had self-released two albums, "Debut Album" (sometimes referred to as "Benevento/Russo Duo") and "Darts [Live]." In 2004, "Best Reason to Buy the Sun" was released on Ropeadope Records to critical acclaim. "Play Pause Stop" was released on July 11, 2006.

The Duo was the 5th Annual Jammys winner of New Groove of the Year in 2005. Joe Russo has previously won the New Groove of the Year award as a member of Fat Mama in 2000. The band has toured with members of RANA and Mike Gordon of Phish.

The band's unique style forges elements of rock, punk, acid-jazz, and fusion. This distinctive sound is the product of a gradual evolution that began with the Hammond organ-driven jazz improv of their Knitting Factory days. Their music is often powerful and unyeilding but somewhat danceable. Overdriven keyboard riffs (often looped on an electronic sampler), outlandish noise effects and forceful, technical drumming are all characteristic of the Duo's musical style. They have been a staple in the jam band scene since 2003 and have appeared multiple times at popular music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Wakarusa. The Duo are not, however, a jam band per se. Improvisation still plays an important role in the Duo's live performances, but their focus is currently on tight, simplistic rock arrangements.

Benevento is best known for his stylistic playing and heavy use of effects. His constantly evolving equipment rig includes a Casio sampling keyboard and myriad effects pedals but is anchored by his Hammond organ (with bass pedalboard) and Wurlitzer electric piano. A fan of circuit bending, Marco uses a pile of circuit bent toys to create wild and warped sounds. In the spring of 2006 he added a circuit bent television that displays sound waves on the vertical line. When not playing music, Marco enjoys making T-shirts, which he has been doing for many years. Some can be found online at Tuba Sunshine

Russo's drumming is fierce and complex (he has been nicknamed "The Madness" by fans), even by the highest standards, and with continued exposure is likely to be recognized as a top drummer of our time. His Roland SPD-S sampler is often used for electronic drum samples which play an important role in many of the Duo's compositions, such as "Welcome Red", "Becky", and "My Pet Goat". Two songs appearing on "Play Pause Stop", "Memphis" and "Powder," were written by Russo and feature his acoustic guitar playing.

Both Marco and Joe are outspoken fans of Maker's Mark bourbon.

Like many acts associated with the jam band scene, the Duo has a small but dedicated fan base and and tours frequently. Their association with Mike Gordon, who has become something of an unofficial third member of the group (not merely joining as a guest on some songs, but playing as their bassist for whole tours), has raised the Duo's visibility in the jam band scene considerably.

RANA guitarist Scott Metzger has been another frequent guest at Duo shows, as well as guitarist Brad Barr of The Slip and Seattle, Washington-based saxophonist Skerik. Metzger and Ween bassist Dave Driewitz have been known to join Marco and Joe for sets of Led Zeppelin covers under the billing Bustle in Your Hedgerow.

This visibility was heightened greatly yet again in the summer of 2006 when Trey Anastasio of Phish announced that he and fellow former Phish-mate Gordon]] would join forces with the Duo for a nationwide tour. This announcement followed the success the four musicians had found while in the studio together recording and writing songs for Anastasio's album Bar 17. The tour began with GRAB (Gordon, Russo, Anastasio, Benevento) co-headlining a 10-date run with Phil Lesh and Friends. The tour kicked off with the "Superjam" at the 2006 Bonnaroo festival which saw Lesh joining GRAB for "Casey Jones" and other Grateful Dead numbers. GRAB went on to play 7 headlining dates without Phil and Friends, and close out the tour with a performance at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.