It was the Ultimate Father’s Day concert Saturday night in Lincoln Hall for a sold out audience as son and father – Benny Benack III and Benny Benack Jr (BB3 & BB2) raised the roof with sizzling hot JAZZ and the unbridled JOY of making music together and celebrating a three-generation tradition of musical genius, virtuosity, charisma, passion and class.
BB3’s new CD – “This is the Life” treated the audience to smooth and swinging vocals including “Some Enchanted Evening” and “Blue Moon.”
As the album also features cuts with his Dad, it was the perfect frame for an evening of instrumental dazzlers that included family specialties like “Sweet Georgia Brown”, audience favorite “Bourbon Street Parade.”
As a sentimental throwback to the original Benny Benack and a tune he had played, BB2 played “Memories of You” on the clarinet dedicated to all the fathers!
Joined by long time Pittsburgh ‘brother’ George Heid III on drums – and his rhythm section featuring young NYC musicians, Benny celebrated Caleb Tobocman on bass and the genius of Tyler Bullock at the Steinway.
The consummate showman and artist himself, BB3 shared his Dad and held up the young musicians – giving his HEART – and the audience gave it back to him in a standing-ovation.
The Benack musical-family spirit combined with soaring, spectacular, outrageously-genius music of BB3 and BB2 and their phenomenal band exhilarated Lincoln Hall’s audience Saturday night on the eve of Father’s Day with LOVE abounding.
It was a musical feel-good, LOVE-FEST – and the audience of all ages left SKY-HIGH!
This was an extension of a three generational passion for making-music and inspiring audiences – and we ALL FELT LIKE FAMILY!
In the hands of masters, this was PURE JOY – and the audience basked in the musical-love in a fabulous not-to-be forgotten ARCA night in Lincoln Hall with the two “Benny’s from Heaven”.
