The venerable Marco Benevento has released his 7-song live Woodstock Sessions EP via Royal Potato Family and Woodstock Sessions today. The session was recorded in one take at Applehead Recording studio in Woodstock, NY in front of a live audience. Benevento, along with bassist Karina Rykman and drummer Andy Borger, performed a set that spanned the keyboardist’s entire solo catalog.
The set starts off with three songs from his most recent studio album, The Story of Fred Short, including “Dropkick,” which sounds like a 50’s pop rock tune that could be heard on an old-school diner jukebox over a cheeseburger and some soda pop. The 22-minute opus “The Story of Fred Short” is a futuristic indie-sounding number, cut into various sections, that bears witness to a wild build segment of jamming from the trio, before making its way into a dance-inspired finale.
“Bus Ride” from 2008’s Invisible Baby makes an appearance in the set with some heavy synth work from Benevento on keys, showcasing his masterful skills. He beseeches the crowd to “Make some noise….now or never” as the group goes into the 2014 track “At The Show” from Swift; never a boring moment at a live Benevento show. “Greenpoint” from 2010’s Between The Needles & Nightfall brings the album to a resounding close, finding some beautiful interplay between each member of the group. As always, Benevento and company take you on an incredible journey, and the Woodstock Sessions EP is keeps in that tradition.
The album is currently streaming in full on Spotify, and you can take a listen below:
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