Next week Marco Benevento releases his first solo album on Ropeadope, Live at Tonic, which chronicles his month-long residency at New York’s now-defunct home for the musical avant-garde earier this year.

Marco

This week, however, we have different look at the madman of keys outside of The Duo (although Sir Joe Russo does play on the opening and closing tracks). First is the transcendent The Beltless Buckler from GRaB on New Year’s Eve in 2004 at BB King’s — it’s space funk perfected. It’s a shame to hear this version and then the one released by GRAB last year — you figure out what’s unnecessary.

The following jam comes from Marco’s first session with Boston’s best groove unit, Club d’Elf, at The Knitting Factory. The whole show was very tribal-rhythmic, and there’s a sense of that here as Marco plays a sideman’s role. The next one comes from the very next night in Providence, when Marco joined forces with Marc Friedman and Andrew Barr of The Slip to create a truly inspired trio, one that has played all too few dates since. This improv has everyone playing at his peak, but it particularly shows off all Marco’s varied faces, from barroom boogie piano, to pattering acid-jazz organ, to freeform freak out.

This Monday’s stormy soundtrack finishes with an incredibly tight and potent version of The Duo’s Abduction Pose from Jay Rodriguez’s Live at Fez on Kufala, with Marco and Joe serving as the reedman’s band. Enjoy!