Robyn Bennett
Jazz, Soul
Booking-territory: Germany, Austria, Schwitzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
Like the music that she writes and sings, Robyn Bennett is an energetic burst of joy with great artistic sensitivity. The beautiful redhead spreads her infectious music, catchy melodies, and touching lyrics with her exceptional voice, both powerful and sensual.
Her new album Glow is comprised of twelve tracks that will immediately seduce you with their instinctive groove. In this musical journey flirting on the edge of jazz, swing and soul, Robyn succeeds in renewing the genre with finesse and modernity.
biography
Robyn Bennett, daughter of university professors grew up in Pennsylvania (USA). Music and dance have always been a big part of her life. She started jazz and ballet lessons at only 3 years old, piano lessons at 6, trumpet at 10 and she sang regularly in different choirs. Her early influences were eclectic, including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Connick Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, Billy Holiday and Billy Joel. Robyn’s love of music, dance and the stage led her to musicals, performing in productions of West Side Story, Carousel and South Pacific. After high school, she left her small, rural town and headed for New York University where she studied in the musical theater program for two years. Having a hard time finding balance in the big city, seeking out calm and open spaces, she then continued her studies at the prestigious Vassar College where she graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts.
Having always been attracted to France and French culture, Robyn packed her bags and went to Paris to get a Masters degree in French literature at the Sorbonne. In 2006, she settled definitively in Paris and a new adventure began. She joined the cast of the musical Cabaret (Dir. Sam Mendes) which played for 2 years at the famous Folies Bergère theater. Dance captain of the cast, she also played the role of Texas and understudied the lead role of Sally Bowles.
It was during this production that Robyn met the trombone player, Ben van Hille. The chemistry they had together was instantaneous. The energy and emotion they shared on stage was infectious, and they decided that they had to make music together. After two self-produced albums comprised mostly of jazz standards, they put their songwriting skills together to create their first album of original songs. The Wait was released in 2013 and is a real success, helping to establish Robyn Bennett in the “big leagues”. The Song is You (2016) confirms this status.
press
Like the music that she writes and sings, Robyn Bennett is an energetic burst of joy with great artistic sensitivity. The beautiful redhead spreads her infectious music, catchy melodies, and touching lyrics with her exceptional voice, both powerful and sensual.
Her new album Glow is comprised of twelve tracks that will immediately seduce you with their instinctive groove. In this musical journey flirting on the edge of jazz, swing and soul, Robyn succeeds in renewing the genre with finesse and modernity.
Her new album Glow is comprised of twelve tracks that will immediately seduce you with their instinctive groove. In this musical journey flirting on the edge of jazz, swing and soul, Robyn succeeds in renewing the genre with finesse and modernity.
Glow was conceived on a porch in Algiers Point, New Orleans and born nine months later on Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis in Paris. Soaking up the sounds, sights, smells and vibes of the Big Easy, Robyn Bennett and Ben van Hille start writing, recording and documenting their impressions during a month-long stay. They discover a joined desire to go back to their roots, to make music together that speaks from the soul and rings true in the listener’s ear. « Seeing and hearing people spilling their guts out every night with their voices and their horns, stripped down and vulnerable, believing in the power of music and plugging away day after day to connect with people, well that’s a pretty inspiring thing. »
Back in Paris, Robyn and Ben finish composing Glow, drawing on their experiences, writing what they know and what is close to their heart. They also want to mix things up and give some fresh blood to the band, bringing in a new rhythm section : Davy Honnet, a young French drummer brings modernity and drive; Julien Omé, coming from a rock/folk background, adds new depth and sounds; the Mauritian, Gino Chantoiseau and his double bass create a solid base; and the keyboards of Laurian Daire complete the rhythm section adding a whole new dimension to the band. The explosive horn section is comprised of Xavier Sibre on saxophones and Ben van Hille on trombone, who is also the arranger for the band.
With a strong desire to take the recording process « to the next level » as compared to the bands’ previous two albums, they decide to record at the great Question de Son studio in Paris with Frédéric Vectol (Babyshambles, Gregory Porter, Elliot Murphy) overseeing the recording and mixing. The magic is instantly present and the result meets all their expectations and more. Robyn can best describe the essence of Glow in her own words: « This is really a labor of love. These are the songs that I’ve always wanted to write and now I finally can. You know when you’re with someone and they just make you feel like anything is possible, like you can say and do what you always wanted to, you can just be you, and there’s nothing more beautiful than that ? Well, that is “Glow”. »
