B:Entertained: Benny Benack III and Kate Kortum on their upcoming performance Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing at Town Hall
/ News 5 Nov 2025News Story
“Part of the fun of this show is re-imagining and re-arranging familiar songs from everyone’s favourite artists, so that audiences still have repertoire they love, but they’re hearing it in a new, fresh way,” says Benny Benack III ahead of his show Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing on 14 November at Town Hall. Named Downbeat Magazine’s ‘Rising Star Male Jazz Vocalist’ of the year, Benny is based out in Manhattan where he founded the ‘Sing & Swing’ show on a North American tour alongside fellow trumpeter Bria Skonberg in 2024. “I’m excited to bring a new version of this show to Europe alongside another absolute “rising star” herself, Kate Kortum!”
Book now: Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing
Fri 14 Nov | Town Hall | 8PM
Hailing from Houston, Texas, and having recently released her second album, ‘Wild Woman’, and Kate will be bringing her warm, distinctive sound blends bebop, blues, the Great American Songbook and musical theatre to Town Hall this November. It will be her first time in Europe too. “I’m really excited to showcase some duets and familiar classics in a new way with Benny and the whole band - Benny is a hoot and singing with him is both so enriching and just plain fun!”
“Kate is such an incredible performer and singer,” Benny adds, “We plan to include some new duets that weren’t in the original show – so this will be a brand-new set of music never performed before! Kate and I both have just released new albums this year, and we’ll incorporate some of that music as well. Audiences can expect some sing-along moments as well - we thrive off an engaged room!”
What was the best advice you heard when you first started?
Benny: It’s more advice I didn’t hear but learned myself over time: patience. I think young people getting involved in the music business sometimes have outsized expectations of what they think will come to think right away, or what they “deserve” just because they’ve taken the time to master their craft. The reality is, building a career and an audience as an artist is something that ideally happens brick by brick, over time, and as you mature and grow into your voice artistically, the career reflects that. I’ve been fortunate to feel like I’m always on a journey towards something, and growing, but I was able to let go of the notion that I’d become some sort of “overnight sensation” and instead focus on doing the little things every day to keep building.
Kate: “When I really decided I wanted to do music, I was empowered to learn how to do everything by one of my professors at the University of Miami, even if I didn’t think I was going to be doing it “professionally” – playing piano, conducting, arranging big band charts – it’s all an opportunity to learn and it will inform what I do on the bandstand.”
This passion for music started early. “I was very fortunate to come from an extremely musical family growing up - I’m not only a third generation Benny Benack, but all of the “BBs” before me have been Jazz musicians as well, Benny shares. “My mother Claudia is a singer and vocal professor at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh where I grew up. As long as I can remember I’ve been surrounded by Jazz and Broadway show tunes my entire life. Even as a kid, I got to see my parents perform, and get to know musicians in my local scene. It just looked like the coolest job in the world. I knew that was what I was going to do with my life, and I’ve been very blessed that it’s worked out pretty well so far.”
“My earliest music memories are really just singing pop songs in the car with my dad on the way to preschool,” says Kate, naming Madonna as one of the artists. “I never really knew I wanted to pursue music until much later in my high school years, but I knew I always loved music and singing and the way it made me feel.” This love led her to study instrumental music in high school. “My teachers instilled more than anything a love of music and creativity and discovering – which is something that always carries me through. I was obsessed with Carmen McRae when I was younger and she shaped a lot of how I sing and why I am a vocalist.”
What are you most looking forward to performing in this performance? Do you have any favourite songs you particularly enjoy performing?
Kate: “I’m most looking forward to connecting with an audience halfway across the world with some of the best people in the businesses! I feel so fortunate to even just be included on this band so getting to take it to Europe feels like a real treat in myself.”
Benny: “I’ve always had a soft spot for the fun and joy that Louis Prima exudes. I think his spirit of singing and trumpet playing coupled with humour and exuberance is right up my alley. We do a fun version of ‘Banana Split for My Baby’ that – without too much of a spoiler – involves our bass player balancing fruit on his head … more to come soon!”
“I was fortunate to spend a lot of time studying with trumpeter Sean Jones, who is one of the greatest Jazz musicians alive and played alongside Wynton Marsalis in the Jazz @ Lincoln Center Orchestra for many years,” Benny says when asked who the most influential musician was in his journey. “He was a wonderful mentor and showed me what it takes to be a professional trumpeter. As far as major inspirations and influences, I grew up at a time Harry Connick Jr. had taken the Jazz world by storm, and as a singing instrumentalist and personality, I always admired his charm and ease onstage, and how well he connected with audiences.”
They will take over the Town Hall stage on 14 November with Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing. “I always hope that audiences leave the theatre feeling lighter than when they came in,” says Benny. “Our job is to uplift spirits and bring people together. I get no better feeling than meeting patrons in the lobby after a show, seeing people smiling and laughing, saying how much fun they had.”
At the end of the day, I want people to see that Jazz music can be as entertaining and current as any other concert they might attend.
Kate echoes this sentiment. “I hope the audience leaves with a newfound love of swing and the blues and that they’ll feel that the music of jazz is alive, well, and taken care of, that it’s not a thing of the past.”
Don’t miss Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing on 14 November at Town Hall.
