NEWS photo Terry Petors

JAZZ AND blues player Keith Bennett taught himself to play the harmonica while he was still in high school. Now, the popular musician sports a healthy collection of the in- struments. Bennett’s harmonica wizardry earned him a spot performing the harmonica portion of the soundtrack at Expo’s Yukon Pavilion. :

25 - Friday, November 21, 1986 - North Shore News

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ONE OF jazz and blues player Keith Bennett’s favorite per- formers is the man who wrote the theme song to the children’s television show Sesame Streci.

“He's a fantastic harmonica player,”’ he says of his idol Toots Tielmans.

Bennett, 31, taught himself to play the harmonica when he was 14 years old. Hitch-hiking from his Deep Cove home to school at Car- son Graham, Bennett would stand at the edge of the road and prac- tice while waiting for a ride.

“It was shiny,’’ he remembers. “T used to have to hide the har- monica because people would think it was a knife or a gun.”’

When he was 19 years old, he learned to play the guitar to ac- company his harmonica. Soon after, he learned to sing to accom- pany the guitar and his first per- formance was at the Harvest Res- taprant, a show for which he was paid $50.

In 1976-77, Bennett spent 18 months travelling through Asia and did what all musicians must do at some point in their careers — sing for his supper. But on the In- donesian island of Bali, Bennett received a bonus, Pay.

He started playing harmonica with the standard dime store varie- ty, but now sports a healthy collec- tion of several types. The chromat- ic harmonica, he says, is very dif- ficult to play. The smaller diatonic harmonica is not. .

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His band is called Hot Property, a name with meaning. ‘‘They’re stolen from all the best bands in Vancouver,"’ he laughs. ‘‘Besides, most of the guys in town who are very, very good are freelancing for a number of groups.”’

The Winnipeg-born Bennett's harmonica skill landed him a spot performing the sound-track for Expo’s Yukon pavilion. On the sound-track, Bennett is accom- panied by the world-famous Lon- don Philharmonic orchestra sort of,

After the harmonica portion was finished, the tape was bundled off to England where the orchestra took over. ‘‘The London Philhar- monic put all the symphony parts on it,’” he explains.

In 1973, a teenaged Bennett made his acting debut as the lead role in Carson Graham’s produc- tion of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. ‘“‘It was great,’ he remembers fondly. ‘It was done at

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the Centennial Theatre and it was packed.”’

From his early beginnings in high school acting, Bennett has been in numerous movies, doing everything from eating dinner to photographing dead bodies.

Right now, Bennett is attemp- ting to put together enough mate- tial to release an album. He has about eight original works so far and is working to write 12 more to ensure an ample collection.

In a small studio in his Deep Cove home, Bennett and bass player Ted Conley write their songs. Their tatest creation is an updated version of Ain’t No Sun- shine. ‘‘We do quite a different funk version,’’ he says.

‘*There are quite a few changes.”’

He wants to take his band on the road and do opening acts, but Bennett admits something like that might take a while. ‘If it comes together,’’ he says.

Keith Bennett and Hot Property can be seen Nov. 21 and 22 at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Tickets are $7.50 and are available at the centre, Bennington’s Res- taurant, Pemberton Station and Highlife Records.

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