Daniel Benisty

Singer Pianist and Bandleader

Daniel is a crossover artist, singer, songwriter, jazz pianist, classical pianist, accompanist, musical director, spoken word poet, comedian, events organiser, teacher and producer.

As a pianist-singer entertainer, he has performed at The Ritz, The Ivy, The Dorchester, The Wellsley, The Hilton, Home House, Troubador, Ronnie Scotts and many other prime London music venues, both solo as a pianist/singer and with his band – The London Swing and Soul Band www.thelondonswingband.co.uk

Daniel has also been Musical Director, Bandleader and Principle Resident musician at Caffe Concerto, RAC Club, Bar 48, The Savoy, Cafe 1001 and the Phoenix Arts Club. Daniel has an extremely wide repertoire of songs spanning 1920 to 2020, so regularly entertains guests with requests. As a traveller and student of languages, he also sings in a dozen languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian.

Daniel is happiest when playing with bass and drum in piano trio form, and even happier when being accompanied by an amazing jazz sax or trumpet player.

While not a full time impersonator, Daniel occasionally likes to try and mimic other artists, and in this video (produced around the start of lockdown 2020), an attempt at impersonating or covering 60 different singers was made.

Piano Bar at Bestival Festival, Isle of Wight.

Originally from London, Daniel started his musical journey in his 20s whilst living and working in Switzerland. Developing as a Jazz Pianist and Blues singer (separately), Daniel studied jazz at EJMA and toured as a singer with a number of Swiss bands who performed regularly at Blues, Jazz and Rock festivals in France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Alongside a passion for Jazz and Blues, Daniel’s operatic and musical theatre styles have seen him perform on a variety of stages across the UK and Europe where he has performed as Elvis (London, Geneva, Switzerland), Freddie Mercury (Frankfurt, Germany) and as a lead Italian tenor in a London production of “Lend me a Tenor”.

As a consequence of lockdown, Daniel became inspired to produce his long awaited songs and scribbles, starting with a song that came straight from the heart about the talented and galliant NHS workers … 1st April 2020 – Real Angels was written in 30 minutes, straight from the heart.

After three years as pianist/singer on various Cruise Ships, Daniel returned to London in 2010 to quickly be selected as Musical Director of events and resident pianist at Caffe Concerto, The Ivy and The RAC Club. Alongside London-based residencies and events, Daniel has made festival performances at Bestival, Wireless Hyde Park and Somerset House as well as guest artist appearances at CAA (Club for Acts and Actors), Pizza Express (Chelsea and Soho), The Savoy (Beaufort), Piano Bar, Toulouse Lautrec, Piano Works, Bassoon Bar, New Players Theatre, Cafe de Paris, Ronnie Scott’s and The Phoenix Arts Club.

As well as performing as a singer at a wide variety of venues, festivals and private events, Daniel has also worked as a coach and educator for pianists and singers – some of whom have achieved success with Music School Scholarships, Musical Theatre roles and TV Talent Shows. As a songwriter, Daniel has collaborated with a vast array of producers including Queen’s former producer David Richards, as well as working with fresh talent – some of whom started as his singing pupils in their teens .

At heart, as well as having a great love for variety, world music, musical theatre and classical music, Daniel remains primarily a singer/pianist in the jazz/blues tradition, with his most enduring influences being Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Oscar Peterson, Tom Waits, John Coltrane, Jeff Buckley, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles and Nina Simone.

Jazz Pianist Singer – favourite styles: Sinatra / Billie Holiday

Original Song written with French/Swiss artist, Muriel Dubuis “In Your Time” – produced by Lior Havkin

Daniel is a self-proclaimed “Alternative Key Worker”

Daniel performing as a singer with Jazz Quintet