Local Spins spotlights the unique Southeast Michigan multi-instrumentalist who’s playing two regional shows this month, while also debuting new tracks by other Mitten State artists.
Keeping Things ‘Pretty High-Energy’: Dave Bennett and band. (Courtesy Photo)
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It’s an uncommon concert experience.
Consider a jazz clarinetist who once headlined a tribute to Benny Goodman at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall unleashing rockabilly music, pop songs and surf classics as part of his multi-instrumental, audience-interactive shows.
Waterford’s Dave Bennett has done just that for more than two decades, with recordings and live performances that embrace jazz along with the likes of The Beatles, Allman Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Alice Cooper and gospel standards.
“The shows that we do have a good combination of jazz, rock ’n’ roll, pop, surf and things that I’ve written. So we try to make it so there’s something for everybody that come out to our shows,” said Bennett, who began playing clarinet at age 10 and began touring the country as a musician at 14.
Bennett: The Waterford-bred multi-instrumentalist has an impressive resume. (Courtesy Photo)
He took up guitar and piano as a teenager after falling in love with the rock strains of Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak.
“I don’t know if it was ever intentional or I had a grand scheme to make it all work. I just happened to be drawn to these types of music very strongly,” he said of his diverse stylings.
“The audiences that we play for now are a mixed age group. So anywhere from your 30s to your 80s are the people that come to hear us and they seem to appreciate it all. And I find I tend to get more of a reaction to the variety than I would just playing one genre for a show. So it’s fun for me and I’m really grateful that it happens to be fun for them, too.”
Bennett – who’s performed with dozens of North American orchestras and appeared at numerous jazz festivals over the years – will bring his quartet and eclectic approach to the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts in Fremont at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Jan. 23). Tickets available online here.
He follows that with a performance at 11 a.m. Feb. 1 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture in Grand Rapids, as part of a special jazz brunch. The brunch costs $90; details here.
‘OPEN-MINDED MUSICALLY’ WITH A FULL SLATE OF SHOWS AHEAD
The graduate of Waterford Kettering High School who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting at Oakland University counts Goodman and Pete Fountain as his biggest influences on clarinet, but also embraces the music of everyone from Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison to Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel.
“There’s very little I don’t like,” Bennett said. “I’m pretty open-minded musically” – so much so, that his latest recording project features gospel music performed with guitarist Tom Hampton, who happens to be the pastor at his Waterford church.
“I have to say personally, I think it’s my favorite project I’ve done thus far,” he said of “Coming Home” that includes the tracks “I’ll Fly Away,” “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me” and “Prince of Peace.”
Latest Release: ‘Coming Home’
“It’s different than what I’ve done in the past, and just being with Tom, he’s such a great guy to be with musically and personally.” Bennett added that it’s likely his next recording project will feature yet another collaboration with Hampton.
Before that, however, he has plenty of touring on the horizon with upcoming performances in California and taking part in the JazzFest at Sea jazz cruise embarking from Florida in March.
“We tend to keep things pretty high-energy,” he said of his live shows. “People will hear a lot of music that they recognize. … I think probably the most common reaction we get is just that it brough them a lot of joy and that’s just what we’re here to do.
“So as long as we can make them forget about their problems for a little bit, and if they can remember the show for the rest of their lives, then we’ve done our job.”
For this week’s edition of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase, Bennett featured a live version of “Eleanor Rigby” as well as the track “Wayfaring Stranger” from 2025’s “Coming Home.”
The radio show also spotlighted the latest from High Strung Steel, Mar in Color, The Kings of Strings, Los Hermanos 616, The Needmores, Squatch and James Filkins, as well as a classic, retro track from John Lee Hooker. Listen to the interview and full show podcast below.
The Michigan Music Showcase airs at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Check out previous show podcasts online here.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (1/23/26)
VIDEO: Dave Bennett, “Sing, Sing, Sing” (Benny Goodman tribute)
VIDEO: Dave Bennett (Jerry Lee Lewis tribute)
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