Have Yourself a Swinging Little Christmas and Jazzy Noel as you begin the holiday week bringing your family and loved ones to experience the virtuosic and heart-filled classic carols, cool jazz vibes and festive cheer from world class musicians in The Burgh and Benack Family Christmas Show on Monday, December 21 at 7:30 PM.
Make your Season Bright with a Christmas celebration that combines timeless holiday tunes with a jazzy twist and electrifying instrumentals with the warmth of a Norman Rockwell family painting performed by peerless virtuoso artists and ARCA audience favorites:
Keyboardist John Burgh and vocalist Lisa Bleil and for the first time in Lincoln Hall the full musical Benack family – Benny Benack III with BOTH his saxophonist/band leader father Benny Benack Jr. and his celebrated vocalist mother Claudia Benack.
Swing into the Holidays adding a touch of musical joy and family warmth to your holiday traditions in this most wonderful time of the year – as you create memories to treasure for a lifetime!
Be sure to buy or reserve early as this concert will sell out!
Adults $30 ARCA Member Discount $25 Students $5
Buy online here
Call to Reserve 724 659-3153 – or cash or check at the door.
ARCA is grateful for the very generous contribution of Tom and Nancy Hovis, ARCA’s Vice President and President respectively, sponsoring the concert of their longtime friends in The Burgh and Benack Family Christmas Show.
With all the joy of family vibes around the Christmas tree, this concert brings back the phenomenal performances and sparkling arrangements that have dazzled Lincoln Hall audiences in the past as long-time ARCA favorites, the John Burgh All Stars with Lisa Bleil combine forces with the two Benny’s and Claudia Benack!
John Burgh and Lisa Bleil have charmed audiences in four Lincoln Hall concerts and cabarets and have had the audience rocking “all night long” at two outdoor concerts at RiverStone Estate.
Lisa Bleil’s memorable performances on WQED’s acclaimed Live from Studio A Christmas include the poignant “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.“
Joining the John Burgh All Stars concert with Lisa Bleil in 2019 were the “two Bennys” who moved from the back of the hall to the stage in New Orleans style!
This promises to be the hippest holiday concert of the season! Benny Benack III will be performing songs from his Christmas album, “Seasons Swinging Greetings.”
As BBIII has been making his mark on the American jazz scene in New York City and in his national and international touring as the third generation progeny of Pittsburgh jazz legends Benny Benack, SR and Jr, he has sold out Lincoln Hall three times with his NYC combos PLUS his father.
In 2024, he was acclaimed as one of the most versatile and virtuosic voices of his generation, when he was voted as the 2024 #1 Rising Star Male Vocalist by Downbeat Magazine.
“His smooth, polished voice… brings to mind a number of old-school singers, including Mel Tormé, an uncommon reference point among today’s cohort of young jazz musicians. Almost everything about Benny Benack III, the 30-year-old trumpeter and vocalist, suggests that he arrived from a different era.” [Downbeat]
Back by popular demand as the audience wanted MORE… in June of 2022 BB2 and BB3 received a standing ovation for “Bourbon Street Parade” – with BBIII’s New York City rhythm section, Esteban Castro on the Steinway, Alex Claffy on bass, and Joe Peri on drums. OUTRAGEOUS Great!
Including his mother in the family musical fun, a signature piece for BBIII on his world tours is a tribute to his mother, Claudia Benack – “Benny’s from Heaven”.
The Benack Family’s performance in Lincoln Hall is simply moving their annual family Christmas performance in Pittsburgh when BBIII is home on a break from his world touring to ‘the other ‘Burg’ on the Allegheny in Foxburg.
For Benny – making music with his Mom and Dad is something he never takes for granted – grateful that as his father played with his grandfather, he gets to perform with his father and mother… as he also will for his ARCA audience on Monday, December 21.
ARCA is delighted to welcome BBIII’s mother Claudia Benack to Lincoln Hall for the first time, whose extensive international singing career has included performances with major symphonies, opera companies and musical theatre companies as well as her work as a recitalist and cabaret artist.
A renowned voice teacher and coach in Carnegie Mellon’s famed Music Theatre Department, her favorite part of her long career is watching and enjoying former and present students appear on Broadway, off-Broadway, on national tours, and at regional theaters.
About the Artists
Benny Benack, III
Already well on the way to becoming a legend himself, Benny Benack III – or BBIII as he is known – is the third generation of a Pittsburgh musical dynasty that began with his grandfather Benny Benack, Sr. a trumpet player and bandleader continuing with his father, Benny Benack, Jr. or BBII to keep the numbers straight.
Taking the professional jazz world by storm after graduating from Manhattan School of Music, BBIII has proven to be that rarest of talents: not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the post-bop trumpet vernacular in the vein of Kenny Dorham and Freddie Hubbard, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery in the post-Sinatra mold, performing standards and his own astute songs with a thrilling sense of showmanship.
His dual talents were recognized by Downbeat Magazine in 2024, Benny was voted the #1 Rising Star Male Jazz Vocalist and #8 Rising Star Trumpeter.
His superb intonation and bracing virtuosity enable him to handle astounding feats of originally composed vocalese (complex solos with written lyrics). On top of it all, he is a highly capable pianist. Benny started out playing piano, but when he was 8 years old he told his parents he was going to become a trumpet player… like his grandfather.
BBIII Recordings
Benny has performed internationally as an Emcee/Host for the Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, and achieved his own viral success amassing millions of views for his crooning alongside the Grammy-award winning “8-Bit Big Band”.
In early 2020 he released “A Lot of Livin’ to Do”, the follow-up to his well-received 2017 debut “One of a Kind”.
This sophomore effort, richly varied in mood and brimming with bop inflection, features bassist extraordinaire and Jazz ambassador Christian McBride (whose Grammy-award winning Big Band frequently calls upon Benny in the trumpet section) and drummer/producer Ulysses Owens, Jr., as well as the radiant Takeshi Ohbayashi on piano and Rhodes.
His vocalese duet on “Social Call” from this album alongside fellow young star vocalist Veronica Swift became an instant smash hit single, being transcribed and learned by Jazz vocalists around the world. In 2021, his Christmas album “Season’s Swinging Greetings” was recorded mostly during the pandemic with the Stevens Feifke Big Band. with a mix of jazz standards and holidays songs.
His album “Third Time’s the Charm” features many stars including Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen & Bria Skonberg and was released in June 2023 to critical acclaim and chart-topping success, reaching #2 on the JazzWeek National Radio Charts.
Trumpeter, Vocalist & Bandleader
Alongside his global touring as a contemporary bandleader, Benny has been featured at Birdland, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Mezzrow, Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle and other leading New York venues, and has also been a special guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops Orchestra, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and the Minsk Philharmonic Orchestra.
BBIII made his television debut in NBC’s short-lived, SNL-inspired variety show “Maya & Marty” playing in the in-studio band led by acclaimed bassist & Broadway arranger Charlie Rosen. More recent TV credits include “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” where he’s performed in the House Band started by Jon Batiste.
His global recognition has been bolstered by recent live-streaming concerts at Smalls Jazz Club, where he maintains a Jam Session residency, as well as frequent appearances on fellow young lion Emmet Cohen’s smash-hit online concert series “Emmet’s Place”
Benny’s been showcased in international headliner tours at Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, JALC’s “NY Jazz All-Stars” (Mexico) and extensively all over Asia and Europe.
He has headlined domestic tours around the U.S. including the Vail Jazz Party, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Pittsburgh JazzLive International, the Vancouver Jazz Festival and the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing, MI, to name a few.
The Benack Family
Third in a generational line of Pittsburgh jazz notables, Benny Benack III follows in the footsteps of his trumpeter bandleader grandfather, Benny Benack, Sr. (1921-86), and his father Benny Benack, Jr., a saxophonist/clarinetist who gave the young Benny his first professional experience. And his mother, Claudia Benack, is a renowned vocal artist who has had an extensive international career in classical and popular music and as an acclaimed teacher for twenty five years in the Carnegie Mellon Musical Theatre Program, with former students appearing on Broadway, Off Broadway and on national tours.
Benny Benack, Sr.
Benny Benack, Sr. was a trumpet player and bandleader at the forefront of the Pittsburgh jazz scene in the 1960’s and 1970’s and hailed from a Pittsburgh lineage that also produced Roy Eldridge, Earl Hines, Art Blakey, Billy Strayhorn and so many more.
Benny was made famous by his song for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 theme song “Beat ’Em Bucs” that was a staple at Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers games. Touring during World War II with a group called the Dodge Kids – Benny Benack, Sr. toured for years with Tommy Dorsey and Raymond Scott, among others.
While BBIII never knew his grandfather, older jazz fans in Pittsburgh have remarked that BBIII has an uncanny resemblance in mannerisms and posture to the original Benny when he performs.
One of the best surviving clips is of Benny Sr. performing on “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
Benny Benack, Jr. – Clarinet, Sax & Trumpet
Known for his virtuosic artistry and charismatic showmanship, Benny Benack, Jr. is a legend in the Pittsburgh jazz and night club scene as he improvises on three instruments and delights his audiences with his singing and stellar arrangements.
The Benny Benack Band plays everything from jazz, swing, big band, Dixieland, Rhythm and Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll – with wonderful vocals from the Great American Song Book and more.
Setting his audiences on fire with his combination of virtuosity and showmanship, Benny Benack, Jr. continues the musical tradition of his father, Benny Benack, Sr., playing trumpet, clarinet, and saxophone.
In addition, Benny Benack, Jr. has had a 45 year career as Senior Vice-President of Dollar Bank.
Performing with BBIII on his latest recording “This is the Life” and in performances around the country, the duo melts hearts with with their combination of virtuoso artistry and heart as in “Song for our Roger,” an original tribute to drummer Roger Humphries.
Claudia Benack
While BBIII’s father Benny Benack, Jr also is a singer who has charmed ARCA audiences with “Bourbon Street Parade,” Benny III’s vocal ‘chops’ are genetically enhanced by the versatile artistry and vocalism both classically and in popular fare of his mother, Claudia Benack.
Claudia Benack artistry has been acclaimed in both classical and popular settings and she is comfortable in a broad range of settings. In the operatic genre, she is an award-winning lyric soprano: MTNA National First place winner in Voice (1983), NSAL Regional winner and National semi-finalist (1987) and recipient of the Minna Kaufmann Ruud Fund grant.
Claudia was a leading soprano for twenty years with Pittsburgh Opera Theater, and performed frequently with Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Pennsylvania Opera Workshop, and other regional opera companies.
Benack also boasts an impressive array of musical theater credits. Favorite productions include BABY (Arlene), THE SOUND OF MUSC (Maria), Guys and Dolls (Sarah), OKLAHOMA! (Laurey), A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Charlotte), OF THEE I SING (Benson), and MY FAIR LADY (Eliza).
For twenty five years, Claudia has taught private singing lessons to Music Theater majors and co-teaches the Musical Theatre Literature and Repertoire/Music Theatre History course in the renowned Carnegie Mellon Musical Theatre Department. She also maintains her own thriving private vocal studio. Claudia’s favorite part of her long career is watching and enjoying former and present students appear on Broadway, off-Broadway, on national tours, and at regional theaters.
Vocalist Lisa Bleil
This amazing and versatile vocalist – Lisa Bleil – was classically trained and can do it all! Lisa Bleil has been singing professionally since she was 18. She attended the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music for her undergraduate studies in Classical Vocal Performance, and since then has performed in nearly every facet of the commercial music industry, from jingles to theater to television to teaching.
LISA BLEIL is known for her performances on the Emmy-winning PBS series “Live From Studio A” and can also be seen on the nationally-televised PBS specials “Rock, Rhythm & Doo-wop” and “Red, White & Rock” performing with Frankie Avalon, Frankie Valli, Connie Francis, Englebert Humperdink, among others.
Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts is proud to welcome back versatile vocalist Lisa Bleil, who headlined for two years in ARCA’s outdoor concerts at RiverStone Farm in 2017 and 2018 and joined the John Burgh JAZZ ALL STARS in 2019 with Benny Benack Jr and Benny Benack III in Lincoln Hall – returning in 2024 to perform in the Valentine’s Cabaret with John Burgh and Benny Benack II.
Lisa has performed with both the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. She can be seen on the nationally-televised PBS series, “My Music” performing with Frankie Valli, Frankie Avalon, Darlene Love, Englebert Humperdink, and Ronnie Spector, among others.
Lisa was also a member of the house band on the Emmy Award-winning “Live From Studio A” series on WQED. She currently serves on the Commercial Music faculty of Seton Hill University, and previously taught at West Virginia University, and the City Music Center at Duquesne University.
Lisa maintains an active performance schedule in the Pittsburgh area, singing regularly in local venues and in numerous concerts, including the annual Holiday Jam at the New Hazlett Theater.
Keyboardist John Burgh
John Burgh and his band have been so popular with ARCA Members over the years, performing for two summers at the Outdoor concerts at RiverStone Farm and in Lincoln Hall with a six piece band including BENNY BENACK JR, BENNY BENACK III and LISA BLEIL.
John Burgh was first introduced to the Pittsburgh music scene on 1982 when he joined the Harold Betters Band playing five nights a week at the South Hills Sheraton. John graduated from IUP in 1981 as a piano performance major, and has returned there many times to play with nationally known artists such as Billy Crystal, Rita Moreno, and recently Doc Severinsen.
John played for many years with the Billy Price Band touring Europe in 2003. He has played and recorded 5 albums with the rock group Gathering Field, playing Hammond B3 organ. Besides filling in occasionally with CLO productions like Miss Saigon and Addams Family, he enjoys playing piano for local musical productions in Sewickley. John also has been a long time member of the Balcony Big Band (18 piece jazz band).
Many people will remember his performances over the last 30 years in the Oil City/Franklin and Foxburg area – and frequent appearances with Lisa Bleil in Pittsburgh music venues.
John grew up in the Harmony/Zelienople area playing piano accompanying his father, who played banjo, and helping his family in the tractor salvage yard business, which he continues to this day.
Make It a Foxburg Holiday Outing!
Enjoy the beauty of Christmas in historic, storybook Foxburg village, decorated for the holidays with thousands of lights and colorful decorations – overlooking the beautiful Allegheny-Clarion River valley.
ALLEGHENY GRILLE
Enjoy DINNER AND A CONCERT: During the holiday season before the Benack Family Christmas concert, enjoy the fine dining menu at the Allegheny Grille – at a table in front of the fireplace – cozy and warm – or at a table overlooking the Allegheny River, beautiful in any season!
Enjoy their seasonal cocktails, weekend specials and enticing desserts.
Be sure to make a reservation to ensure that you have a seat – and plan to arrive early enough before a concert to be served in their main dining room with plenty of time to get to Lincoln Hall!
FOXBURG PIZZA
Or for more casual fare, dine at Foxburg Pizza with delicious salads, a huge variety of sandwiches and pizzas of the month – and every combination you can think of!
The dining rooms is ALL decorated for Christmas and Light Up Night – when Santa greeted the children and gave them gifts, compliments of the Foxburg Chamber of Commerce.
FOXBURG WINE CELLARS
Be sure to save time to enjoy a wine tasting in the newly renovated Foxburg Wine Cellars or enjoy a bottle of wine on the beautiful patio insulated for winter enjoyment.
Or do some Christmas shopping for stocking stuffers – and bottles of Foxburg specialty wines and after-dinner dessert wines as hostess gifts for holiday parties and for your holiday celebrations, as well as unique wine-related stocking stuffers for those wine lovers on your list.
Not to mention something for yourself, like their deliciously robust River Queen, guaranteed to warm you on cold winter nights.
When you become an ARCA member at the $100 level, receive a 10% discount on up to 6 bottles of wine on the day of an ARCA concert.
FOXBURG INN
Plan to enjoy a wonderful pre-Christmas overnight enjoying the peace of the valley and the joyous program of the Burgh & Benack Family Christmas at the newly renovated, romantic Foxburg Inn, where every room has a view of the river!
If you reserve early, you can get the room with the fireplace!
As an ARCA member at the $100 level, you receive a 5% room discount any time of the year and a 10% discount from Friday to Sunday on concert weekends. You may utilize the hotel website or calling directly (724-659-3116) and showing your membership card at check-in.
