By: David Schultz

In the summer of 2006, keyboardist Marco Benevento, along with drummer Joe Russo, boosted their collective renown over a whirlwind summer tour with Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon before trekking the country on their own fall tour in support of their sterling sophomore album Play Pause Stop. Once the world slowed down for the pair more familiarly known as The Duo, Benevento took to the stage at the now-defunct Tonic for a month long residency spanning five Wednesday night performances. Only one evening featured Benevento solo; the rest, though focused upon the inventive keyboardist, included notable contributions from his many friends. Mike Gordon sat in for an evening of Benny Goodman music; Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey’s Reed Mathis and notable session drummer Matt Chamberlain sat in for a night; the estimable skills of Joe Russo, Bobby Previte and Mike Dillon gave rise to drum night and Ween’s Dave Dreiwitz and Claude Coleman joined with trumpeter Steven Bernstein for yet another intriguing pairing. Live At Tonic culls three hours worth of the residency’s most sparkling moments, which per Benevento’s design, were intended as completely improvised and off the cuff evenings of music.

Bucking the bootlegger tendency for chronological accuracy, the cuts are spread liberally throughout the set’s three discs, jumping freely between the various shows. When playing with Russo in The Duo, Benevento typically surrounds himself with a menagerie of keyboards and synthesizers. For the Tonic shows, Benevento primarily kept to the piano, which bent pliably to his will. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, the wide-ranging material captured on Live At Tonic showcases his exceptional aptitude for jazz and avant-garde as well as his prodigious talent for captivating an audience.

When not engaging in experimental, improvisational exercises, Benevento deftly crafts gorgeous piano melodies whether it's on his own creation, “The Arrival of Greatness,” an interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s “Bye Ya” or lush versions of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” and Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better.” The many guests aren’t relegated to supporting roles: each brings something forth from the versatile Benevento. The clockwork pacing of “The Weathermen” bristles with staccato and Previte, Russo and Dillon’s brisk percussion; on “Executive Session,” Benevento engages in a fine bit of interplay with Bernstein and he attacks “Gimme Some Lovin,” with a loose and freewheeling joie de vivre. Live At Tonic also does a fine job of capturing Benevento’s always enthusiastic audience who provide the vocals on the Spencer Davis classic and, upon Benevento’s relentless urging, provide beer bottle percussion for a swinging cover of Benny Goodman’s “Sing Sing Sing.”

Benevento’s Tonic shows epitomized the spirit of the now defunct nightclub and Live At Tonic serves as a fine testament to the adventurous spirit of the venue that remained a haven for new and experimental music right up to the moment it closed its doors with Marc Ribot chained inside. The set also memorializes a remarkable residency featuring an astonishingly creative musician exploring his musical boundaries and taxing his improvisational capacities to create some truly unforgettable performances.