Dave Bennett brings Benny Goodman to Romanza

Benny Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader known as the “King of Swing”. His musical group’s sold-out 1938 Carnegie Hall concert has been called “jazz’s coming-out party” to the realm of “respectable” music, and, indeed, to the rest of the world.

Romanza will present virtuoso clarinetist Dave Bennett and his Quartet for one show only at the Lewis Auditorium of Flagler College on Granada Street in downtown St Augustine to perform their vibrantly swinging “Benny Goodman Tribute” on Tuesday evening, May 14.

Bennett describes himself as a self-taught prodigy. He says that he picked up the instrument at age 10, and at only 28, has never looked back. He has led his stellar group of musicians in stage show concerts in 30 states and has performed with more than twenty orchestras in the US and Canada. Hailed by musical luminaries such as Doc Cheatham, Dick Hyman, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Pete Fountain, Bennett has established himself as America’s premier interpreter playing in a style and sound inspired by his hero, Benny Goodman.

Bennett’s mature stage presence, knowledge of Goodman’s recordings, and his penchant for wire-rimmed glasses, spats, and double-breasted suits accurately bring to life the sound and the mood of Benny Goodman’s Swing Era.

Dave Bennett’s show time is 7:30pm Tuesday evening, one show only. Tickets go on sale April 1 at RomanzaFestivale.com. Advance purchase discounts of $5 are offered before day of show (discount ends May 13). Full price: Special reserved VIP seating $50; General Admission open seating $30. Also for VIP ticket holders, a Meet the Artists Afterglow is offered.

The 10-day-long Romanza Festivale (May 10th through 19th, 2013) showcases the living culture of St. Augustine: music, dance, theater, art, cuisine, and heritage. Featured are major headliners, street fairs, the Ponce de Leon Parade, concerts, plays, re-enactments, exhibits, lectures, workshops, tours, wine-tastings, exquisite dining opportunities and much more, from pirates to Picasso, from tango to tapas…

Get to know “The Nation’s Most Romantic City”, St. Augustine, FL, our astounding history and amazing living culture at the Romanza Festivale. More information: www.RomanzaFestivale.com