Keith Bennett and David Sinclair were a harmonious end to the 2016/2017 Season of the Performing Arts, Bennett awing the crowd with his wide range of harmonicas and Sinclair keeping the crowd informed about their music.
The duo met in a studio doing film work and it has been a perfect musical match ever since, Sinclair mentioning how, “We have a whole lot of fun together.”
One of the reasons why their performances are so much fun, is because the performers creatively make mash-ups of various songs. They also believe in keeping their performances fresh, Bennett explaining how, “A lot of the times we try to do a new song every once in a while,” and Sinclair adding that it helps, “keep ourselves on our toes.”
Sinclair also explained how these performances differ from the large scale concerts he used to perform with kd lang and Sarah McLachlan, “The thing with those tours is that they are pretty set. You have to work to keep it fresh.” During smaller scale concerts such as the one in Harrison musicians can be more impulsive and flexible as to what they decide to do.
Another thing that is also flexible is what harmonica Bennett chooses to play.
With a personal collection of approximately 150 different harmonicas in various conditions it is no wonder why Bennett plays a variety. During the concert Bennett played harmonicas that ranged from over the length of a ruler to not much larger than a paperclip. He began to be interested in harmonica when he received his first harmonica from his father who had it in the second World War. An interesting story about harmonicas is how they have deflected bullets before, sometimes saving soldiers’ lives. At the concert there was a harmonica on display that had a bullet wedged in it.
Despite his large collection of harmonicas Bennett doesn’t own the harmonica he would like to have the most, “I can’t afford it,” he stated, “it is worth about $7000 […] and has all sorts of gold.” Even without the gold, Bennett still produces a beautiful range of music with the vast variety of harmonicas he does have. For those interested in playing harmonica Bennett is hoping to be able to teach a one-day harmonica lesson in Harrison if he receives enough interest. Those interested can email him at paradox@axion.net.
Although Sinclair was disappointed by the rain on Saturday, both performers enjoyed their visit to Harrison, Sinclair reflecting how, “every time we play we get a great response.”