On Saturday, June 25th, the acclaimed Triad Theatre in Manhattan presents a special double bill concert, featuring contemporary jazz saxophonist Greg Osby and experimental "Folk-Jazz" saxophonist Daniel Bennett. The Triad Theatre has hosted performances by entertainers like Slash, Joan Osborne, Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole, Susan Lucci, Buddy Miles, Ravi Coltrane, Debbie Gibson, David Crosby, George Benson, Max Weinberg, John Entwistle, Tracey Morgan, Kathie Lee Gifford, Matthew Broderick, Rachel Dratch, and Steve Gutenberg. The Triad was the original home for Off-Broadway hits like "Forever Plaid," "Forbidden Broadway," and "Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know." The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street on Manhattan's upper west side. Visit www.triadnyc.com for more information.
Veteran New York saxophonist Greg Osby began his career as a sideman for artists as varied as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jim Hall and Jaki Byard. Seeking challenge has been a theme in Osby's career. Upon diving into the New York jazz scene, he often found himself frustrated by his less adventuresome peers. He sought out other musicians who shared his love of exploring musical styles beyond the standard Tin Pan Alley fare. In 1985 Osby was invited to to join Jack DeJohnette's innovative group, "Special Edition". Osby signed with Blue Note Records in 1990 and recorded fifteen outstanding recordings for that label as a leader. In 2008, Osby launched his own label, "Inner Circle Music," which serves as a platform for many of today's brightest artists. The Village Voice critic Francis Davis wrote of his contribution to their double album Upriver, "Greg Osby superimposes his own brand of rhythmic complexity (one fully worthy of Wayne Shorter) on the rhythm section's static vamps every time he steps forward." In 2003 Osby toured with The Dead, which was a reincarnation of The Grateful Dead for a full North American tour. He also has contributed in various lineups with Phil Lesh and Friends. Since 2007, Greg has been an active endorser of P. Mauriat Saxophones.
Critically acclaimed New York "Folk Jazz" saxophonist Daniel Bennett has recently shared concert billings with artists like Bill Frisell, Charlie Hunter, James Carter, Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), Jerry Bergonzi, and David Fiuczynski. The Village Voice raves, "saxophonist Bennett makes hay with an airy approach that's buoyant enough to conjure notions of East African guitar riffs and Steve Reich's pastoral repetition." The Boston Herald described Daniel Bennett's music as, "exploratory folk-jazz." Bennett's musical journey began as a graduate student at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. During this time, Bennett began to compose songs that featured folk melodies played on the saxophone in a jazz quartet format. Bennett's chord progressions also maintained a unique minimalist quality, influenced by composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The Boston Phoenix described Bennett's style as, "an unusual folk-minimalist approach." The Boston Globe described Bennett's music as "a mix of jazz, folk, and trance." The Daniel Bennett Group has released four albums on the Bennett Alliance label, A Nation of Bears, The Legend of Bear Thompson, Live at the Theatre, and Peace and Stability Among Bears. Daniel Bennett's "Folk Jazz" music has found a broad fan base that is unusual for a modern jazz outfit. Insite Magazine called Daniel Bennett's music, "refreshingly capricious and trippy.”