SEPTEMBER 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!

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SUN 9/9 : The Metaphors w/ guests Arrington de Dionyso & Ueda Nanako
at ZART, Yokohama
19:00 ~ 22:00 - entry: 1000 yen

This promises to be a strong night of improvised nusic, heavy on the grooves, of course, it being the Metaphors and all, but our special musical guest Arrington de Dionyso is just an absolutely fantastic musician. Heard some of his CDs a while back and man, he knocked me out! Very eager to get Metaphorical with this excellent and very creative player. We'll also be joined by dancer Ueda Nanako, who I don't know but as Mr Marcos Fernandes put this whole thing together, I reckon she's probably a fine mover and shaker! Yokohama, here we come!

Full details at the Facebook Event Page HERE

Noge Underground • 野毛アンダーグラウンド 14
Culture Clash • カルチャークラッシュ

Rhythms, melodies, movement converge and cultures clash in this edition of Noge Underground.

Arrington de Dionyso (winds, voice/US)
The Metaphors:
Samm Bennett (vocals, percussion),
Hiroshi Shimizu (percussion),
Marcos Fernandes (percussion)
Nanako Ueda (dance)

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TUE 9/18 : SainkhoKosmos
at Pit Inn, Shinjuku, Tokyo
open 19:30 - start 20:00 - entry: 3500 yen (includes 1 drink)

It was a great honor and privilege to join (as drummer and occasional vocalist) the newly-formed SainkhoKosmos last year, when we performed in London and at the Paimpol Festival in Brittany, France. Those of you unfamiliar with the utterly amazing and very powerful performer and singer Sainkho Namtchylak should take this rare opportunity to hear her, right here in Tokyo. This show will follow a couple of big festivals we are playing in Beijing and Shanghai, so we'll be well primed for this one. My dear old friends and longtime collaborators Ned Rothenberg (winds) and Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar/daxophone) are band members as well, and the unit is rounded out by the solid basswork of Peter Scherr. Hope to see you at Pit Inn for this one, it won't be quite like anything else you're likely to hear.

Pit Inn website HERE

Below: screenshot of map to Pit Inn. Need more detail? Go to Google Map

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SUN 9/23 : Bennett-Kuroda
at What the Dickens, Ebisu, Tokyo
music from 20:00 to 23:30 - FREE entry

With three solid gigs under our belts it's clear to Daisuke and myself that this is a unit we are going to focus on and keep alive. His masterful six string artistry is the perfect support and complement to my three strings and singing. We're both excited about the prospects for our future collaboration. Hope you'll come over to the Dickens that night for some good libations (the Bass Ale and Proper Job on tap are my go-to brews) their hearty English pub food and the un-cramped, generally agreeable atmosphere! It'll be three full sets of my originals plus some covers liberally added here and there. Don't miss it! And, as is usually the case at the Dickens, there is no entry fee. Easy on your pocketbook.

Below: screenshot of map to WTD. Need more detail? Go to Google Map

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MON 9/24 : The Smoke Benders - ORIGINAL lineup!
at Barrelhouse, Ikebukuro, Tokyo
open 18:00 - start 19:00

Hello friends, Samm Bennett here, with an invitation to come on out to beautiful Ikebukuro's  Barrelhouse bar, for the Hysteric Reunion of funky, tuba-driven power trio the Smoke Benders! We're back in the saddle after a few years off (we had to take care of our ailing spirit doubles as well as make a coupla trips to the Mississippi Delta for some sharecropping and gambling).

Back in the day it was one hell of a band, I tell you, with tuba god Daysuke Takaoka and drumming ace Naoya Numa together forming an unstoppable, incredibly funky and propulsive rhythm section, over which I would sing, intone, and play just about any old item you could imagine. We had a whole lotta fun, and so did the folks who came to check us out. And it's gonna be even better this time around, you can take that to the bank! (they'll just give you a puzzled look at the bank, but anyway, take it there)

This official reunion gig (and to be perfectly honest, it's not clear at this point whether there'll be another one after this) will be happening at the affably funky little old school rock bar and live house known as the Barrelhouse. I'd be lying if I told you it was the easiest place to find. BUT... this gig is gonna be worth it, trust me (that is if the three of us don't spontaneously combust and burn the place down) and you've all got Google maps on your phones so NO EXCUSES!

Here's a characteristically boisterous clip, from our very FIRST gig back in 2010, at the same venue as our reunion will take place, the Barrelhouse! The gods of music move in strange ways.

Here's a couple more clips (audio only, just use yer ears!) from a few years back, check 'em out:

Barrelhouse website HERE

Below: screenshot of map to Barrelhouse. Need more detail? Go to Google Map