Benita Haastrup, drums & percussion – is formally trained at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory. She has received the Ben Webster Prize 1998, The Sunset Jazz Hornbaek Prize 2007 for “an outstanding effort in Danish Jazz as a drummer, percussionist and composer”. In 2012 Benita was awarded a Danish Music Award, in 2017 the Walter Klæbel Award and also in 2017 she was nominated for two Danish Music Awards: Best Jazz Release and Best Composition. Benita has played everything from swing to avant garde, african drum music, classical music, soul, folk, latin…and her creative and colorful drumming is inspired by all creative expressions in our world culture. Through the years Benita has performed and toured with many both local and international artists – a.o. Andy Sheppard, Marilyn Mazur, John Tchicai, Anders Jormin, Tore Brunborg, Muhal Richard Abhrams, Fred Hopkins, Marie Bergman, Leo Wright, Teddy Edwards, Buster Cooper, Paolo Fresu, Johnny Griffin, Bob Moses, Bob Rockwell, Idrees Sulieman, Jesper Thilo, Frederik Lundin, Christina Dahl, Marie-Louise Schmidt, Helle Marstrand, Hugo Rasmussen, Pierre Dørge, Irene Becker. Benita was a member of Richard Boone’ quartet (formerly with Count Basie) for more than 10 years and for more than 16 years a member of danish violin player Finn Ziegler’s “Dream Quartet”. Benita is co-leading the danish jazz trio “The Sophisticated Ladies”. Finally Benita has toured most of the world and performed at a.o. The London Jazz Festival, Marseille Jazz Festival, Capetown Jazz Festival, Trondheim Jazz Festival,Terni Vision in Musica, Rozella Jazz, Oslo Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz, Stockholm Jazz Festival and Rostock Jazz. Since 2012 Benita has focused on composing and playing with her trio – Kaare Munkholm, vibraphone and Jens Skou Olsen, bass – touring Denmark and Norway extensively. The travels to the upper most northern parts of Scandinavia has had a vital influence on the music and playing of the trio, and as a result of this work the trio’s CD GOING NORTH was released January 2017. Since 2012 Benita has also focused on community music projects – touring in Denmark and Norway with the trio Benita Haastrup DrumDrum. Read about this project here. from www.benita.dk
