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Benny Benack III to Headline Penn State Jazz Benefit

By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
September 19, 2017
Posted in: Announcements

(Perry Bindelglass photo courtesy Benny Benack III.)

Hot on the heels of his first solo album, trumpeter Benny Benack III will headline the 14th annual "All That's Jazz" benefit concert at Penn State Greater Allegheny.
 
A fundraiser for the campus' scholarship fund, the event will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Student Community Center, a spokeswoman said.

Grandson of jazz trumpeter Benny Benack, a Clairton native who popularized traditional and Dixieland-style jazz in the Pittsburgh area in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, Benack III released his debut solo album, "One of a Kind," on Friday.

Over the past 13 years, more than $1 million has been raised for scholarships at Penn State by "All That's Jazz."

“Scholarship money raised at All That’s Jazz is so important in enabling our students to complete their education," said Laura King, director of development for Penn State Greater Allegheny." The majority of students at Penn State Greater Allegheny require some type of financial aid.  We hope that the community will come out and help us continue our tradition of providing support for our students."

UPMC McKeesport hospital is a gold-level sponsor of this year's event.

The concert will have a 1920s "Great Gatsby" theme, with some people clad in costumes from the era, including flapper-style dresses and broad-brimmed hats.

Benack III, who has performed at "All That's Jazz" before, will bring his NYC Quartet and his big band to the concert.

Information on tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be obtained by calling (412) 675-9071.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his master's degree in 2015, Benack III is a teacher as well as a performer, having conducted clinics at high schools throughout the country as well as at the New York Jazz Academy.

He also leads The Benny Benack Band on behalf of Jazz @ Lincoln Center’s “Jazz For Young People" outreach program, as well as educational concerts at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and for the New York Pops Education Outreach Program.

According to a biography on his website, Benack III has performed with the Christian McBride Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars, Jimmy Heath Big Band and Bobby Sanabria's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra.

He has also toured alongside singer-songwriter Josh Groban and performed frequently in Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine and Italy.

Originally published September 19, 2017.

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