Bennett Roth-Newell

Bennett Roth-Newell is a pianist/keyboardist, composer/arranger, emcee, producer, and multi-genre music educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bennett began piano lessons when he was 7 years old and by age 10 became fascinated with jazz. After playing mostly classical music during his first few years of studying piano, Bennett set off on a path of learning jazz standards and immersed himself in the music of the jazz giants—especially of legendary jazz pianists Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk, and Bill Evans—while practicing determinedly to develop his sound on the piano as an improviser. Starting as a teenager, he also found a love in hip-hop music and began honing his craft as a lyricist, recording artist, producer, and live performer.

He studied jazz piano with John Simon and jazz arranging with trombonist/composer Doug Leibinger. He completed his undergraduate education as Distinguished Graduate in Jazz Studies. Bennett ventured to San Jose State University directly after and completed a master’s degree in jazz studies while studying jazz composition and arranging with saxophonist/composer Aaron Lington and jazz piano with the late esteemed pianist Frank Sumares.

Some of Bennett's career highlights & current endeavors include:

• Appearances at San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Yoshi’s, SFJAZZ Center, Shoreline Amphitheater, Great American Music Hall (San Francisco), Feinstein's at Vitello's (Los Angeles), The Guild Theatre, The National Black Theater Festival, Oakland Art & Soul Festival, Herbst Theater, Black Cat Jazz Club, and countless other venues, festivals, and events.

• Releasing several recordings: Grown (2022), Put It Out (2019), The Bad Ones (2016), After You (2015)

• Contributing to numerous albums and projects for artists such as: Kevin Allen, Mason Razavi, Amy D, Jonah Melvon, Maya Victoria, Tracy Cruz, Lilan Kane, Justin Engel, Anton Commissaris, The JurassiC, Soulful Obsession, James Tha Spitta, B-Jada, 7th Street Big Band, and many others.​​

• Serving as Creative Arts Director at The Riekes Center for Human Enhancement in Menlo Park, CA, teaching piano, drums, bass, composition, band classes, hip-hop songwriting, and electronic music production.

• Teaching jazz piano as adjunct music faculty at West Valley Community College​​

• Performing alongside some of jazz’s top-flight musicians including Matt Wilson, John Handy, Aaron Lington, Wally Schnalle, Carl Allen, Marc Sherman, Steffen Kuehn, John Worley, John Shifflett, Jason Lewis, Tony Lindsay, Mike Williams, Jamie Davis, Lorca Hart, Idris Ackamoor, Eugenie Jones, and more. In addition, appearing with a variety of ensembles as part of opening acts for artists such as B.o.B., Teedra Moses, Moonchild, Tamar Braxton, Haley Reinhart, Goapele, Mac Mall, Lyrics Born, and more.

Awards

Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award (2024)

City of Santa Clara Certificate of Mayoral Recognition (2022)

San Jose Jazz, Jazz Aid Fund Award Recipient (2022)

Claude E. and Alberta D. Walker Scholarship, San Jose State University (2011, 2012)

Distinguished Graduate in Jazz Studies, Sonoma State University (2010) 

Evert B. Person Scholarship for Music, Sonoma State University (2006-2010)

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