Edition No. 107
Arts and Culture
Dave Bennett, Sean Dobbins and Cliff Monear return to The War Memorial this winter for the Dave Bennett Winter Jazz Brunch Series!
Community and Family
The return of a community favorite, in partnership with Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort!
Warm up this winter with the return of the Dave Bennett Winter Jazz Brunch Series.
The series includes three concerts – one by Bennett and his four-member jazz band on Feb. 5, jazz drummer Sean Dobbins on Jan. 22, and jazz pianist Cliff Monear on March 19. Brunch begins at 11 a.m. with the concert commencing at 12:15 p.m. and lasts until about 1:45 p.m.
“Cliff and Sean are some of the best musicians in the Michigan area and the country,” Bennett said. “They’ve done the series before and it’s always been a great time and turnout. It’s a nice mixture.”
Bennett is a jazz clarinet player and a Mack Avenue Records artist. He fuses serious jazz improvisation with a host of modern pop influences.
“The new album is a little bit of a departure from what we’ve done before,” Bennett said when asked what folks can expect from his February performance. “I don’t do strictly jazz. I play piano, guitar and sing. It’s a mixture of jazz-swing and a little bit of 1950s rockabilly. They will hear a lot of songs they like to hear, but also a lot of new stuff we’ve added to the show. There’s a lot of joy in the show.”
His most recent album, “Nowhere Fast,” was released in June of 2022. Bennett said stylistically he writes jazz, “surf rock, Chris Isaak-Roy Orbison style.” Bennett’s other albums include “Don’t Be That Way” and “Blood Moon.”
The first brunch series at The War Memorial with Bennett came in January 2019.
“It was a wonderful thing and very honored that they asked me to help curate it,” he said. “I’ve played Grosse Pointe for a number of years now when we’re not on the road and there’s a lot of love in the community and have treated us with much kindness. I’m glad to do it again.”
Bennett has been a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops in 2013, and has been featured with 35 other U.S. and Canadian orchestras including Nashville, Detroit, Omaha, Toronto, Calgary and Jacksonville. Some of his annual appearances include The Elkhart Jazz Festival, The Suncoast Classic Jazz Festival, and The Arizona Classic Jazz Festival.
Fun and adventure awaits with the Ski Hi Club
Kicking off our first entry of 2023, The War Memorial is pleased to once again offer Ski Hi Club. The club, for youth and teens, was last offered in 2021 and is a decades-long winter tradition.
From Jan. 19 to Feb. 17, Ski Hi Club nights run on Friday evenings, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Pine Knob Ski and Snowboard Resort in Clarkston. Upon arrival at Pine Knob, Ski Hi Club members will check in with our Ski Hi coordinator at a designated table in the Pinery Café to receive their lift tickets and equipment rentals.
The club offers youth a chance to learn how to ski or snowboard and develop a life-long love for fun on the slopes. For many generations, joining Ski Hi is much like participating in a school sport or afterschool club - weekly participation and commitment is emphasized. To ensure learning, safety, and fun on the hill, club members will have the option to add on equipment rentals and group or private lessons to hone their skills and experience the joy of winter sports all season long.
Ski Hi is open to students age 7 -18 years old. Students have the option of riding charter bus transportation between The War Memorial and Pine Knob. Elementary students, age 7 to fourth grade, and club members opting to not ride the bus, must be responsible for their own transportation to Pine Knob.
Although this year’s program is already in full swing, learn more about how your child can be part of the club next year! Check out the box below for more details to prep for 2024!
Inspired Thoughts is a collection of highly curated content that embraces the spirit and purpose of The War Memorial: arts and culture, community enrichment, leadership, and patriotism.
Derived from the notion that learning from others is the key to success, Inspired Thoughts is meant to shine a light on those making a difference in the world around them. This collection features artists, poets, writers, architects, and every thought leader in-between. Inspired Thoughts is the strongest reflection of what The War Memorial stands for, and what we aim to be.
The content featured on Inspired Thoughts is curated by War Memorial leadership — we also look forward to featuring special guest curators in the near future. If you are interested in providing content for Inspired Thoughts, please email our Communications team at dmurphy@warmemorial.org.