Bennett Brothers & Ryan Johnson to play with Whiskey Trio

Courtesy of Ann Dean

Between them, The Bennett Brothers and Ryan Johnson have decades of experience in a number of different bands and genres. They are set to perform on Wednesday with The Whiskey Trio.

Musicians Calvin Bennett and Ryan Johnson have played in different groups together since the two met in high school.

In college, the two played in a group with Split Lip Rayfield’s Eric Mardis, after that they went on to play together in other projects including the jazz band Floyd The Barber and the blues rock band Grain & Demise with Kirk Runstrom.

“Ryan and I have been the best of friends since high school,” Bennett said. “Quite a long time and many shows have passed. I hope we do five hundred more shows together.”

Bennett and Johnson have large musical résumés including bands like The Kirk Rundstrom Band, The Creek Bank Ghetto Boys, Floyd The Barber, Grain & Demise, Snake Bite and Satan’s Jeweled Crown.

Many of their projects are still active. On Thursday Bennett and Johnson will be playing together in their jazz quartet Floyd The Barber in Lawrence and with Split Lip Rayfield’s Eric Mardis in Snake Bite on Friday.

“I just want to keep playing live in Kansas and Missouri,” Bennett said. “The places and venues I’ve been playing with bands since the early 90’s and be able to see folks out and about. Plus I love playing music with my brother and of course with [Johnson]”

After living in Europe for a few years, Bennett returned to the States and resumed playing the bands he left behind, including playing a number of shows with Grain & Demise.

“Then after Kirk Rundstrom died, we decided to start up The Bennett Brothers & Ryan Johnson again,” Bennett said. “This time using our ‘jams’ and a lot of the songs I had written for the Grain & Demise albums. We are also using a bunch of songs Cody wrote for some of our old bands such as Creek Bank Ghetto Boys and Satan’s Jeweled Crown.”

Along with his brother Cody Bennett, Calvin Bennett is now focusing on having a good time, doing what he loves.

“We only play music written by myself, Cody or Ryan,” Bennett said. “If we throw in a [cover] song or to two to play it would be a Kirk Rundstrom song. In a way, I guess were continuing some of the ideas and things we learned from Kirk with this band now. We sure do love him and miss him, always will.”

Bennett met drummer Ryan Johnson when the two attended Shawnee Mission West High School. They became friends and have played in a number of groups since they met.

“We were playing in jazz band and concert band together and running’ around with the same crowd by the time we were juniors in high school,” Bennett said. “Lots of parties and things. Ryan’s a great musician who reads and writes music and likes and plays all styles of music like jazz. We’ve been playing together so long in so many groups I think he knows every song I’ve ever written or played, maybe even some I haven’t written yet.”

In addition to his many bands, Bennett played in the Kansas University Orchestra, the K.U. Jazz Combo, and Jazz Big Band.

“I’m now in second chair playing double bass in The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra because I live in Brooklyn, New York. I love this Orchestra.”

According to Bennett, his newest band is firmly grounded in his past but has a feel all its own.

“Its sort of what my brother and I used to play on our front porch to see who could freak the other out more while playing,” Bennett said. “And a little of Grain & Demise, a little emphasis on drums playing a bigger part of the sound and some ‘Cody influence’ on song writing and weirdness.”

With his numerous projects, Bennett has immersed himself in music and looks to musical legends like Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and Leonard Cohen for inspiration.

“I listen to the lyrics a lot,” Bennett said. “They mean so many things different to each person listening to them and the instrumental music has a soul. Its dark, its light, its peaceful, it’s tormented, it’s flame, it’s ice, it’s bedrooms of fire, it’s seas of foam, it’s washed out eyes looking to the west.”

Calvin and Cody Bennett were fed a healthy diet of music from their parents and were encouraged to play instruments at an early age.

“When I was nine, I started playing the violin,” Bennett said. “But people made fun of my ‘little’ case, so the music teacher Betsy Wright talked me into playing the double bass, or upright bass. So from 1982 or so until 2008, it’s been a long strange trip.”

Although the band doesn’t have any recordings out yet, they do have plans to make a record.

“Hopefully we’ll record a full length album in the near future,” Bennett said. “Get some material out that has been needing to get out for some time.”

With such a diverse musical background, its hard for Bennett to describe what kind of music he plays.

“I always say I play classical, jazz, heavy-metal, bluegrass, rockabilly, experimental and just about everything under the sun really,” Bennett said. “And of course original and at times quite improvisational.”

While Bennett has accomplished a lot and has been in many bands in many parts of the world, he is always building on his skills and looking to do new things.

“All my past bands, orchestras, groups and projects have influenced me greatly,” Bennett said. “I’m still trying to find some more ‘kinds’ of music to play. I use all the techniques and songwriting from each type of music, band, group or project I’ve played with and mix it all up.”

With all his experience, Bennett still gets a lot of enjoyment out of performing for a crowd.

“I love the feeling of playing live,” Bennett said. “I like laughing and seeing other people laugh and dance and chug beer. I guess I hope to keep playing music with my brother until the cows come home or the sun falls out of the sky.”

The Bennett Brothers & Ryan Johnson will be playing with Emporia’s Whiskey Trio, a band that features members of The Dewayn Brothers, at 10 p.m. on Wednesday at Wheat State Grille, 707 Commercial.