LIVE: Michael Benedict & Bopitude @ The Linda, 6/10/11

Back in January, jazz vibraphonist Michael Benedict returned to his first love – the drum kit – and surrounded himself with a batch of A-list jazz players at Cotton Hill Studios in Colonie. Andrzej Pilarczyk hung out in the studio with the band and filed a two-part, behind-the-scenes, in-the-studio report for Nippertown.com: Part 1 and Part 2.

Last Friday, the musicians – trumpeter Chris Pasin, tenor saxophonist Brian Patneaude, bassist Mike Lawrence and pianist Bruce Barth, in addition to bandleader Benedict – reconvened at The Linda in Albany to celebrate the release of the album “Bopitude,” which is also the name of the band. The album was released on the prestigious Planet Arts jazz label based in Catskill.

At The Linda, the band slammed out the tunes and cranked up the energy for a swinging coming out party, and Nippertown.com photographer Rudy Lu was there to capture the action:

Photographs by Rudy Lu
Additional photographs by Rudy Lu at AlbanyJazz.com

SECOND OPINIONS:
Albert Brooks’ photographs at AlbanyJazz.com