Jazz drummer Michael Benedict studied with legends Jim Peterscak, Ray Mosca and Keith Copeland. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam and earned his Master’s in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University.
Michael is the drummer/leader of BOPITUDE, one of the top Hard Bop groups on the jazz scene today and The Gary McFarland Legacy Ensemble. He has released five recordings to date. Downbeat Magazine picked BOPITUDE “Five and One” as one of the Best Albums of 2013. His most recent release, “Circulation: The Music of Gary McFarland”, was an Editor’s pick in Downbeat Magazine and listed as one of the Best Jazz Albums of 2015 by National Public Radio.
Michael has toured the United States extensively, performing at numerous concert halls, colleges, clubs and festivals and has performed in Europe as well as a US State Department tour of Tunisia.