by Max Newman
The downtown Cleveland Public Library is no stranger to presenting eclectic musical offerings. Through its Music at Main series, the library’s fine arts department is transformed into a concert space on select Saturday afternoons, a recurring event which has platformed an ever-widening spectrum of genres and styles since its inception.
At 2:00 pm on December 6, the Daniel Bennett Group will continue this trend. the trio, led by their namesake saxophonist, will bring a self-described “mix of jazz, folk, and minimalism” to the third-floor lobby. I spoke with Bennett over the phone about the upcoming performance.
Bennett says his journey with the sax began in his formative years in Rochester, New York. Kickstarted by a particularly striking performance at a high school jazz concert. “I heard a kid play the Pink Panther theme on tenor saxophone, and that was life changing for me.” From that point, Bennett said he did all he could to further his bond with the instrument. “I went through the school band program, concert band and marching band, and I taught myself to play guitar on the side. I was writing songs and singing and playing in church 2 or 3 times a week. I was doing everything.”
One of the most marvelous things about live music in Cleveland is the wonderful and unexpected places that it takes you. Places where one would not expect to witness joy-inducing song, places that make you feel as though music, in this city, is truly everywhere.