Peninsula People Nov 2017

eathing room required for a
larger-scaled work, one on which,
who knows, he might even stake
his reputation.
Looking ahead to potential opportunities
is important, he says,
“and continuing to be really creative,
because I feel like I’m doing
some of my best work now as I’ve
gotten older and a little smarter
about things. When you’re young
you think you know it all, then you
realize the adage ‘the more you
know the more you realize you
don’t know.’ Yup, that’s true,” and
he laughs.
In the meantime, Benoit has his
work cut out for him locally. This
includes a dinner concert on Sunday,
Nov. 12, at the Palos Verdes
Golf Club. Proceeds from the
event, with tickets at $125, benefit
the Asia America Symphony Association.
“I’ll do a few of my signature
tunes,” he says. “We’ll probably do
a couple things that people know
me for. I want it to be a fun, loose
event where maybe we’ll jam on
an Eddie Harris tune and then Herbie
Hancock, and maybe (throw in)
a few cover tunes. Everyone’s
gonna get a chance to stretch out
and jam a little bit.” In addition to
David Benoit introduces Manhattan Beach resident and Space Shuttle Endeavour
Astronaut Dr. Garrett Reisman at the premiere of "Journey of the Endeavour"
at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance in 2013. Benoit conducted the Asia
American Youth Orchestra wearing an Endeavour flight suit. Photo by Kevin Cody
Benoit on piano, the lineup is likely
to consist of guitarist Pat Kelley,
drummers Clayton Cameron and
Brad Harner, bassist Ken Wild, and
saxophonist Michael Paulo. “Plus
I’ll have a couple of my young
members from the orchestra performing
so they’ll have a chance to
be featured as well,” the latter musicians
being 14-year-old Vinnie
Aguas on drums and 17-year-old
Colton Russell on bass.
As for the Asia America Youth
Symphony, the 2018 season has yet
to be announced, but one of the
highlights (if not the highlight, for
those involved) takes place in June
when 30 members of the orchestra
will travel to Seoul, South Korea, to
perform. This is actually a reciprocal
concert: in February of this year
some 30 South Korean musicians
came to the States and were guests
of the Asia America Symphony.
On this side of the Pacific, however,
the AAYS will host its alumni
concert, on April 20: “We’ve had
the orchestra for 15 years now,”
Benoit says. “In those years we’ve
had a lot of students who have
gone on to be very successful in
music, so we’re asking them to
come back.” In other words, if you
or someone you know performed
with the group during those years,
dust off your oboe or viola and get
ready for the big reunion.
For the moment, though, all eyes
are glued to the space shuttle and
David Benoit’s “Journey of the Endeavour”
concert, which is also the
fall fundraiser of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic’s Peninsula Committee
(our local LA Phil Affiliates).
The performance takes place from
7 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, in
the Samuel Oschin Pavilion at the
California Science Center, 700 Exposition
Park Drive, Los Angeles.
Tickets, $150. Hors d’oeuvres,
desserts, fine wine and coffee to be
served. For information and tickets,
go to pclaphil.org. PEN
30 Peninsula • November 2017