Royal Potato Family

The story of Marco Benevento continues on February 3, 2009 with Me Not Me, the pianist’s third album as a leader and the first to be released on his own curiously titled label, Royal Potato Family Records. And, as usual, the story is pretty dope: Benevento, with his working band in tow (the drummers Andrew Barr and Matt Chamberlain, plus Reed Mathis on bass), has recorded another ten tracks of solid, energetic, instrumental rockjazzwhocareswhatitscalledMUSIC.

Different this time out, however, are the songwriting credits. Seven of the ten tracks on Me Not Me are covers (hence the album title), a big jump from last year’s Invisible Baby, an album of all originals. But Benevento’s voice shines through on every selection, be it the music of Leonard Cohen or Deerhoof: each tune is performed by a twisted and gleeful piano trio, performing in the lobby of the first hotel on Mars.

Oh yeah, and all of the covers are rock covers. The trio takes on the aforementioned artists plus My Morning Jacket (“Golden”), Led Zeppelin (“Friends”), the wacky Swedish electronica duo The Knife (“Heartbeats”) and more. And solo, Benevento rolls through Beck’s “Sing It Again” (from Beck’s Mutations). But don’t sleep on the originals, especially the peaceful “Call Home,” and the old Benevento-Russo Duo chestnut, “Mephisto.” They’re real nice, too.