Drummer/Bandleader Jimmy Bennington will play two nights at the famed Jazz Zone in Lima, Peru, located in beautiful Miraflores. This longstanding club has played host to a wealth of local and international talent, and proudly presents the Jimmy Bennington Trio Friday and Saturday April 11 and 12. Bennington's trio will feature pianist Guilad Shmaya and bassist Omar Rojas.

Jimmy Bennington brings from Chicago his own brand of Jazz and Free Music. The program will feature Bennington's compositions and arrangements, as well as standards, originals, and improvised music.

For nearly twenty years, Bennington has provided and developed an inimitable musical atmosphere that showcases his guests creative talents, and places the drum in the roles of timekeeper, colorist, and conductor. In keeping with the Jazz tradition, he employs elements of Blues, Folk, Latin, and African music to explore, propel, cajole, and inspire both musicians and audiences alike. Bennington's first visit to the Jazz Zone was in 2005. This return engagement will feature two very creative artists, Israeli pianist Guilad Shmaya and bassist Omar Rojas, both residents of Lima. Shows begin at 8 p.m.

"Jazz music that treats the drum as an instrument equal to the piano, and experiments with the below the skin deep beauty that music has always had, but which few artists have been daring enough to delve into." - Ben Ohmart, The Muses Muse, 2004.            

"...solid, exploratory Jazz." - Cadence, 1998.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, May 22, 1970. Bennington was raised in Detroit, Michigan until age nine when his family moved to Houston, Texas. It was there that he began music studies on clarinet, playing the instrument for three years. Switching to drums at age fourteen, his education has come from private study, Marching and Concert bands throughout Middle and High School, work as a sideman and as a leader. Largely self- taught, early experiences include Jazz and Blues sessions, opportunities to play with local veterans, and study with late Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones. In fact, Jimmy served as band manager and drum tech from 2000-2002 touring the U.S. and Europe.

Bennington has played and recorded with a diverse array of artists from the Jazz and Improvised Music communities and beyond, including legendary clarinetist Perry Robinson and trombonist Julian Priester. Currently based in Chicago, after long residences in Texas (1990-1998) and the West Coast (1998-2006), Bennington performs at a number of venues as a sideman or band leader with his group, Colour and Sound with regular visits to Canada, Europe, and South America.