Benevento Russo Duo

Some things are just better in pairs. Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Benevento and Russo. Yes, the two childhood friends who cut their teeth together playing the basement of the Knitting Factory over a decade ago reunited at Brooklyn Bowl for Freaks Ball XVII, their first ‘official’ New York sh

Celebrating their only New York City appearance for 2010 at the Highline Ballroom, our beloved Duo introduced new material as well as remixes of ‘Sunny’s Song’, ‘Becky’, and ‘Walking, Running, Viking’.

Gracie came out alone, gave her thanks and began to sing an old spiritual like song that could have been included in the Oh Brother. Where art thou? soundtrack. “Nothing But the Water” it was called, and she belted from the pit of her stomach while beautifully shaking her tambourine, “Take me DOWN, to the lev

Surely, if they released albums as prolific as their live outings, their catalog would be enormous; however their last proper release was 2006’s Play Pause Stop.

Having toured extensively with Phish alum Mike Gordon, Higher Ground has gradually become a second home away from The Duo’s NYC hot spot – The Knitting Factory.

They’ve gone from regional improv act to an international draw and have cemented a name for themselves by producing great music night after night and pushing the boundaries of what a drum and organ combo can do.

Yet the comparison – a compliment – is apt as the two groups both fashion instrumental jazz-infused intensity-building jams.