Review: Marco Benevento – Me Not Me

The fact that pianist/noisemaker Marco Benevento’s latest album Me Not Me consists of mostly covers explains why so many of the melodies are so familiar. Benevento is joined by bassist Reed Mathis (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) and drummers Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos) and Andrew Barr (The Slip) as he delivers wonderfully rich piano melodies and all sorts of manufactured noise. It is a collision between the worlds of jazz piano and experimental sound manipulation. I mean, just imagine Vince Guaraldi playing with Radiohead and you might start to understand what Me Not Me sounds like.

Benevento’s three original songs on Me Not Me are great, but it is certainly the covers that will garner the most attention. On the album, Benevento covers a diverse group of artists including My Morning Jacket, Leonard Cohen, Deerhoof, The Knife, Beck, Led Zeppelin, and George Harrison. Some of it quite electro-based and cacophonous while some songs are nothing more than solo jazz piano. By layering an assortment of different instruments and gadgets to color and affect/warp the sounds and add remarkable textures to what is (even without it) anchored by Benevento’s lovely and captivating piano lines. Surprisingly (though) it all comes together into an unbelievably cohesive whole. Throughout the entire album it is easily recognizable just how talented a pianist and arranger Marco Benevento is.

I’ll be perfectly honest here that until very recently I was not overly (or at all) familiar with any of Marco Benevento’s work, but since I first heard him, I’ve already gotten his first solo album and one from the Benevento/Russo duo. I’m also super excited to see him performing this Thursday at the Logan Square Auditorium. Come on out if you don’t have plans and I’ll see you there, if not at least pick up a copy of Me Not Me, you won’t be disappointed.

MP3 | Marco Benevento – Sing It again Me Not Me