Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes

Roots & Shoots Concerts Series presents Michael Benedict Jazz Vibes. This acclaimed quartet features vibraphonist Benedict with Joe Finn on guitar, Pete Toigo on bass, and Pete Sweeney on drums. Their repertoire includes straight ahead jazz, standards, Latin jazz, and original material.

“In addition to being a fantastic musician, Michael Benedict is a highly regarded educator. This concert isn’t just for longtime jazz aficionados—it’s also for anyone who wants to learn more about this wonderful music,” says Mike Zdeb, member of the Academy Music Committee. “Michael both brings jazz standards to life—from Monk and Miles to Ellington and Mingus—and illuminates how they fit in the development of different jazz idioms.”

As a vibraphonist and drummer, Benedict is currently the leader of two ensembles, Jazz Vibes and Bopitude. He has released six recordings to date, including “Five and One,” which Downbeat Magazine named one of the best albums of the year and “Circulation: The Music of Gary McFarland,” which was an editor’s pick in Downbeat Magazine and listed as one of the year’s best jazz albums by National Public Radio. His latest album, “1-2-3 GO,” earned him the Nippertown Local Hero Award for best local/regional release and WCDB SUNY Albany 90.9FM Radio recently voted him “Best Jazz Musician.”

Benedict has performed and/or recorded with jazz luminaries Gary Smulyan, Harry Allen, Dick Oatts, Ralph Lalama, Bruce Barth, Joe Locke, Renee Fleming, and Gene Bertoncini. He was a member of the Spike Jones Orchestra and the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra. He received a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University.

This program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.