Blood Moon / Dave Bennett

A “blood moon” is a natural phenomenon that evokes a sense of foreboding yet captivating wonderment. However, the moon eventually returns to its natural state, shedding its reddish hues back to normalcy. Clarinetist Dave Bennett has not returned to normalcy and neither has his music. Blood Moon, Bennett's sophomore release for Mack Avenue Records, is a dark and reflective collection that deals with loss, heartbreak, and ultimately a return to faith and hope. “During the period of establishing what this new album’s direction was going to be – pop? gospel? – I spoke with Mack Avenue’s president who said, ‘Why don’t you do your own stuff?’ That gave me the confidence to finally sit down and create my own songs for this record,” says Bennett. Blood Moon finds Bennett bravely exploring this new terrain of original music, as he draws on influences from Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and Genesis. “I tend to feel emotions somewhat magnified…whether good or bad,” he says. “I’m very thankful I was given this chance to create something of my own, to share my own stories. I’ve always admired how Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel could write songs that people could relate to on a deeply emotional level. Even though I’ve written instrumental music, as opposed to lyrical songs, I hope and pray the listener might find solace in the music we created.”