Bender
Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | SELF
Music
Press
The band Bender, featuring Barry Bender and his band will perform live at two venues on October 14th and 16th in Asbury Park and Long Valley New Jersey. Bender plays an assortment of original and popular classic rock and blues. The band consists of Barry Bender, who plays piano, guitar, sax and lead vocals; Rich Kalinsky on drums, Jeff Phillips on guitar and background vocals and Russell Hubley on bass and background vocals.
Upcoming performances not to miss Bender at include:
• Bender at The Saint in Asbury Park , NJ on Thursday October 14th @ 9:45 pm. The show is being produced by Phanphest Entertainment. http://www.phanphest.com/
• Bender at the TRICMA Fall Concert Series on Saturday October 16th @ 8 pm.. The concert is held at The Studio At Long Valley, NJ. http://www.tricma.org/
Bender most recently performed at the Atlantic City International Film and Music Festival. The gig was held at the House of Blues @ the Showboat in Atlantic City on September 10th. Bender performs regularly at the Great Notch Inn in Little Falls NJ.
ABOUT BARRY
Barry lives, works and records in Atlantic City, NJ. A multi-instrumentalist composer, singer, arranger, producer and teacher, Barry was inspired by his musician father, Herbert Bender, who died when Barry was 16. Herbert was a pioneer in the 60’s and 70’s creating live bands to perform at private affairs. Although Barry began playing music at age five, he didn’t begin his music career until after the death of his father in 1973.
Barry studied music in college, playing mostly jazz while listening to and being inspired by popular artists of the day like The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa, and Jefferson Airplane. Barry’s current music, self-described as “100% original, organic, hand-made with a message” is a rich composite of classical/jazz theory and the heartfelt folk-rock influence of the 60’s and 70’s.
The release of his first album, Life (and Jade) in 2006 was a major milestone in Barry’s 30-year music career and a true family affair. Barry’s daughters Leah and Hillary Bender played important parts in inspiring, and helping to create songs for the album, his wife Jennifer O’Dell created the cover artwork, and his sister Stacey Bender-Hammerling used her public relations expertise to ensure the album’s success.
Today, Barry continues to write, play and record at his home studio while teaching accounting, finance and management at several local universities as well as maintaining his own private CPA practice. He hopes to release a second album - Degrees of Freedom - in the near future. For details on Bender, the album and the music log onto www.barrybender.com - The Jersey Tomato Press.com
Atlantic City International Film & Music Festival
Eighty films, 16 musical acts on tap Sept. 8-12
By Lori Hoffman
Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Aug. 11, 2010
Greetings From the Shore.
Joe Fedison was the visionary who decided that a film festival could work in Atlantic City, even though the town no longer even had a movie theater. He started the ball rolling in 1997 with the first Atlantic City Film Festival and kept it going through 2005.
Now his idea has been taken up by two different organizations that will bring films from around the globe to Atlantic City. The third presentation by the Downbeach Film Festival, the 2010 Atlantic City Cinefest takes place Oct. 15-17.
First up, however is the inaugural Atlantic City International Film & Music Festival which brings musical talent into the mix and takes place Sept. 8-12, with the support of Harrah’s Entertainment properties, Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort and the Showboat Casino-Hotel.
The festival features more than 80 movies and 16 music acts. Among the films is Ice Grill, USA, a movie made by former Brigantine residents Mark Bernardi and Greg Santarsiero. The movie was shot in spring 2008 in Atlantic City including Resorts and Tony’s Baltimore Grill, and was screened last year at the Atlantic City Cinefest where this Atlantic City take on Mean Streets won several awards including the Audience Award for “Best of the Fest.”
The Atlantic City International Film & Music Festival will present 20 full-length independent films and 60 short features. The films will be presented Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 9-11 at the Claridge Theater and Lucky’s Lounge, and Caesars Apollo/Zeus and Mars/Venus Ballrooms.
One of the more intriguing titles scheduled is Greetings From The Shore, a drama set in the North Jersey shore. The cast includes celebrated character actor Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas, Nixon) and film veteran Jay O. Saunders (Glory, The Day After Tomorrow). According to the plot synopsis, “Still reeling from the death of her father, a young girl spends one last summer at the Jersey shore before heading off to college. But when her plans fall apart, the girl stumbles into a mysterious world of Russian sailors, high-stakes gambling, and unexpected love.”
The musical acts include Philadelphia-based sonic auteur Lushlife; New Jersey based band Bender and the high-energy dance band Belikos. The music is presented Thursday and Friday, Sept. 9-10 in the House of Blues, and Saturday, Sept. 11 at Caesars Circus Maximus.
Information on nightlife events and VIP panel discussions will be announced at a later date.
- Atlantic City Weekly
By Cheryl Rosen
July 2006
SPOTLIGHT
It’s a well-known fact that children who are talented in music also tend to be great in math. So Barry Bender surely is not the only CPA who has two master’s degrees, one in music and one in accounting. This March he got the opportunity to work on both of his favorite subjects, as he split his time between finishing up clients’ tax returns and fulfilling his dream of producing and releasing an album of his own.
Like fellow musical CPA Kenny G, Bender considers himself a saxophone player—though he also plays keyboard, guitar, bass and drums when he’s not teaching accounting and business at Rowan University and Richard Stockton College in New Jersey. And while “Life (and Jade)” has not yet made it to the top of the charts, Bender isn’t looking for fame. He’s donating all proceeds from the album to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of a stricken friend.
“As an accountant I know that if I factor in all the courses I’ve taken and the instruments I’ve bought”—not to mention the full recording studio in his basement—“music is not a money-making proposition. I definitely have a debit balance in my music equity account,” he says. “But for me, it’s about being creative and having fun.”
—Cheryl Rosen
- Journal of Accountacy
Discography
CD: Life (and Jade) - Barry Bender
released March 2006
Website: http://www.barrybender.com for more info.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Bender/167645943245582
Photos
Bio
Bender is a New Jersey based band that plays a combination of original tunes and their own interpretation of classic rock standards. The band is comprised of two 50-something veteran players who were housemates and band mates while attending SUNY Oswego in the mid-1970’s, one 40-something and one 30-something player who have a deep respect for the classic rock sound of the 60’s and 70’s. Bender started playing regularly at the Whiskey Grille in Atlantic City and has most recently been heard at the Great Notch Inn in Little Falls, NJ, The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ, the Tri-County Performing Arts Center in Long Valley, NJ and the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ.
The founding member - Barry Bender - is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer, arranger, producer and teacher. Barry was inspired by his musician father, Herbert Bender, who died when Barry was 16. Although Barry began playing music at age five, he didn’t begin his music career until after the death of his father in 1973. Barry studied music in college, playing mostly jazz while listening to and being inspired by popular artists of the day like The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Frank Zappa, and Jefferson Airplane. Barry’s current music, self-described as “100% original, organic, hand-made with a message” is a rich composite of classical/jazz theory and the heartfelt folk-rock influence of the 60’s and 70’s. Barry lives, works, and records in Atlantic City, NJ.
Bender’s drummer (and Barry’s former roommate) – Rich Kalinsky – has been playing for over thirty years. Rich has studied jazz greats like Elvin Jones and Art Blakey and, like Bender’s other members, his influence by 60’s and 70’s rock is obvious. Currently, Rich resides in Chatham, NJ where he hoards his collection of vintage drum kits and works as a film industry exec. Rich can be heard performing with multiple bands in the New York City area.
Bender's guitarist - Jeff Phillips - was brought on board by Rich. Jeff lives in North Jersey where he runs a rehearsal studio and gigs regularly with a number of bands.
Bender’s bass guitarist – Russell Hubley – was brought on board by Rich. Russ lives and works in Brooklyn, NY where he regularly gigs with various bands.
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