March 2017 Live Schedule

MARCH 2017 : live shows by Samm Bennett and his various ensembles

Hello friends, Samm Bennett here, hope to see you at one or more of these upcoming shows!

SAT 3/4 : SOLO

at Infinity Books, Asakusa, Tokyo
open 19:00 / start 19:30 - entry: ￥1000 + 1 drink
(Free entry after 21:00 / 21:00 以降は無料!)

I'll be playing a whole buncha new songs, plus some oldies, as part of an interesting new monthly series called "The Bridge", devoted to Tokyo-based songwriters.

The setting will be intimate and quiet enough to allow for a more nuanced degree of expression. A very different vibe, from, say, the more full-on "sing and shout over the background talking and shouting" at, say, places like What the Dickens, y'know? The lyrics will be in perfectly audible focus.

There will be a full set of songs, followed by an interview segment and audience question & answer sesssion. Followed by a nice relaxed hang with good beers on tap. You might even leave there with a book, who knows?

Schedule:
19:00 Bar Opens
19:30 Performance by Samm Bennett / 演奏
20:30 Q&A session with Samm / インタビュー
21:00 Drinks & Discussion / デイスカションと飲み会

At-a-glance map. Need more detail? Go to the Google map to Infinity Books

TUE - WED - THU - 3/7, 3/8 & 3/9 : Smoky Dose Kansai Mini-Tour
Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto - Details coming soon!

The Smoky Dose is the trio of Samm Bennett (vocal, WaveDrum, etc), Jyoji Sawada (bass) and Naoya Numa (drums). Performing a mix groove-based improv and songs, their shows are free-form and always unpredictable.

SAT 3/11 : KING CAKE BABY - "Mardi Gras Sounds for Tokyo Town"

at Never Never Land, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
open 19:00 / start 20:00 - entry: 1000 yen plus drink

Come getcha summa that good ol' New Orleans Mardi Gras spirit! Shake it up on the dance floor or just tap your feet, either way is A-OK, at the friendly, well-worn Never Never Land, down in deepest Shimokitazawa! A fine place to let your hair down and dig some relaxed and spontaneous musical fun!

Google Map to Never Never Land

DIRECTIONS TO NEVER NEVER LAND: Take a right turn out of the north exit at Shimokitazawa station. Walk straight along the pedestrian shopping street (past Caldi Coffee Farm and Segafredo) until you come to a T-intersection. Turn right again and walk a short block till you see the giant Pepsi can and the MOS BURGER. Turn left there, then right again at the next T-intersection. You will see a big SHIMOKITAZAWA sign at the end of that street. There you take a left, and you will soon see NOAH SOUND STUDIO. Never Never Land is directly acrosss the street from NOAH, on the second floor, just above the smaller NOAH Piano Annex.

SUN 3/12 : Double solos night with Samm Bennett & Yugo Sato

at What The Dickens, Ebisu, Tokyo, Roob Bldg., 4th floor
start 20:00 - FREE entry

Folks, this will be a fun night, the THIRD time we've done this bill of alternating SOLO sets from yours truly and the very unique blues/roots stylist Yugo Sato. Free entry, music from 20:00 till, oh... near midnight. Come on out for some pints, classic English pub food and lotsa songs and such!

Scedule: YUGO: 8 to 8:30 - SAMM: 8:45 to 9:15 - YUGO: 9:30 to 10:00 - SAMM: 10:15 to 10:45
and then we'll see what happens from there!

Facebook event page

Below: at-a-glance map to What the Dickens. Need more detail? Go to the Google map.

FRI 3/24 : The Amazing Flying Machine

at Hikari No Uma, Okubo, Tokyo
19:00 open / 20:00 start - entry: 2000 yen + 1 drink

The AMAZING FLYING MACHINE will take off and soar once again, friends, at Hikari No Uma, a chill, comfy little venue just seconds away from JR Okubo station (Sobu line). The band features the inspired, trance-like recitations and spontaneous poetic creations of Marcellus Nealy, who brings his formidable word-performance skills to bear over a shifting musical carpet of funky beats provided by bassist Koyu Suzuki and drummer Samm Bennett. And winding his merry melodic way through the proceedings is Mitsuru Ogata on electronically-extended flute.

If you dig the 70s-era funky-soul-jazz vibe and performance aesthetic of Gil Scott-Heron or The Last Poets, for example, you'll dig the AMAZING FLYING MACHINE. If you dig a percolating, African-esque groove or a solid pocket a la James Brown or Sly and the Family Stone, you'll dig the AMAZING FLYING MACHINE. Oh, and we'll be doing that cerrtain something that only we can do Come on over to Okubo and fly with us.

DIRECTIONS to HIKARI NO UMA:
10 seconds from South Exit of Okubo Station (JR Sobu Line)

Get out from South Exit (smaller exit - rear of train if coming from Shinjuku - front of train if coming from Nakano), go right out of the ticket gate and immediately turn right onto the first street there. Walk along raised railway about 10 seconds (tracks on your right). Hikari No Uma ( ひかりのうま ) will be on your left.

OR... from Shin-Okubo Station (JR Yamanote Line)
Go out the station exit and turn LEFT. Walk about 5 minute till you arrive at JR Okubo station. Turn left immediately after crossing under tracks. Walk along that street, tracks will be on your left. Hikari No Uma ( ひかりのうま ) will be on your right after about 2 minutes. Total walking time from JR Shin-Okubo station is about 7 to 8 minutes.

Hikari No Uma website (Japanese)

At-a-glance map to Hikari No Uma. Need more detail? Go to Google Map to Hikari No Uma

SAT 3/25 : THIRD PERSON (Samm Bennett & Umezu Kazutoki + guest)

at Space Who (the Egg Farm), Chiba
details TBA

It's been a loooong time since I played at the legendary jazz/improvised music venue Space Who (llocated on the grounds of an actual egg farm!), about, oh... 20 years or so. And who better to return to the place with than my old cohort Umezu Kazutoki? This time around our guest third member will be keyboard powerhouse Sato Masahiko. Come on out and hear us rattle the walls, and maybe bring home a few eggs as well. And please visit the THIRD PERSON page to learn more about what we do and why.

SUN 3/26 : with some ROCKING band (TBA), in a benefit for ToPoJo!

at What the Dickens, Ebisu, Tokyo
14:00 ~ 17:00
full details coming SOON!