Benny Benack III, one of the most dynamic young voices in contemporary jazz, brings his formidable trumpet chops and warm vocal style to Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs on May 29, 2026.
At a moment when jazz is experiencing a generational renaissance, Benack stands out for a skill set that recalls the genre’s golden age of entertainer-musicians. A Jazz at Lincoln Center artist, he possesses the rare ability to move seamlessly between virtuosic trumpet work and assured vocal performances — a dual threat that places him in a lineage stretching back through Chet Baker and Louis Armstrong.
Raised in Pittsburgh in a musical family — his grandfather and father were both respected jazz musicians — Benack absorbed the tradition from the inside out before honing his craft at the University of Michigan and in New York’s demanding club scene.
Universal Preservation Hall, the beautifully restored former Methodist church in downtown Saratoga Springs, has quickly established itself as one of the Capital Region’s premier listening rooms. Its soaring ceilings and warm acoustics make it a natural home for jazz of this caliber.
This is the kind of evening that reminds you why live jazz endures: a supremely talented musician, a world-class room, and the spontaneous magic that only happens when the two meet.
Visit Universal Preservation Hall for tickets and information.