Courtesy photos.
SANTA BARBARA — Iconic pianist, composer, arranger, producer, film and TV scorer David Benoit will be performing on Friday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E Canon Perdido St, Santa Barbara.
For four decades, the Grammy-nominated pianist, composer and arranger David Benoit has reigned supreme as one the founding fathers of contemporary jazz. He has received three GRAMMY® nominations in the categories of Best Contemporary Jazz Performance for “Every Step of the Way” (1989), Best Large Ensemble Performance for GRP All-Star Big Band (1996), and Best Instrumental Composition for “Dad’s Room,” the latter from the album Professional Dreamer (2000) and in 2010, Benoit received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Smooth Jazz Awards.
He has served as conductor with a wide range of symphonies including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic, London Symphony, Nuremberg Symphony, Philippine Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, New World Symphony Orchestra and of course, the Asia America Symphony Orchestra, among many others. Piano performances have included Claude Bolling’s Suite for Flute & Jazz Piano, Suite for Cello & Piano, Concerto for Guitar & Jazz Piano Trio with Angel Romero, guest soloist with Lalo Schifrin and his orchestra and as a tribute to Charles M. Schultz, the Peanuts Piano Concerto and the music of Vince Guaraldi in conjunction with his recording of Here’s To You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years.
Benoit currently hosts a morning radio show on KKJZ 88.1 FM, CA, and continually tours & records. He is a composer in residence at Montalvo Arts, the Music Director & Conductor for the Asia America Symphony Association, and resides in Palos Verdes, California with his wife Kei and daughter June Koko.
David Pack.
Local nonprofit One805’s board member David Pack will be performing as a special guest in celebration of five decades of friendship & music making with Benoit. Pack and Benoit grew up in LA’s South Bay, having met in junior college in 1971. Pack will be joining Benoit for a tribute to Leonard Bernstein.
Pack is the original co-founder of legendary prog-rock pop band Ambrosia, the voice and sole writer of their classic hits from the 70’s and 80’s. He went on to become a successful solo artist, Grammy-winning record producer, advisor to companies ranging from Avon to Kodak, and Music Director of global special events including both of President Clinton’s Inaugural Galas, and events for Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Billy Joel, Madonna and others. For more information about David Pack, visit www.davidpack.com/
For more information about ‘An Evening with David Benoit’ and to buy tickets, please visit lobero.org/events/david-benoit/.