November 14, 2006 12:20 ET

Rykodisc Announces West Coast Dates for JAY BENNETT's U.S. Tour Supporting His Rykodisc Debut "THE MAGNIFICENT DEFEAT"

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 14, 2006 -- Having recently completed the first leg of his U.S. tour, "Sonic mastermind," Jay Bennett will take to the road once again in support of his debut Rykodisc release, "The Magnificent Defeat," beginning Thursday, December 7th at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle. Other stops along the coast include Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Iowa City-based indie/folk/pop confection Death Ships will join him throughout the tour.

Bennett's long awaited solo opus, "The Magnificent Defeat," represents the finest of a massive creative outpouring. Following his production work on Blues Traveler's 2005 release "Bastardos!," Bennett's songwriting floodgates were unhinged and the subsequent result was the writing and recording of some seventy songs, thirteen of which are showcased on this release. The album was produced by Bennett and David Vandervelde and largely recorded at Private Studios in Urbana, IL. Highlights from the album include "5th Grade," "Replace You," "Wide Open," "Survey The Damage" and "Good As Gold." Here's what critics are saying about "The Magnificent Defeat":

"a tour de force of sonic construction...the most gripping body of work of his career" -- Pop Culture Press

"more engaging than his former outfit's recent efforts..." -- CMJ

"a winner in every sense of the word..." -- Amplifier

In addition to his well-regarded work with Wilco and solo releases, Jay is also a highly skilled and respected producer and sought after session musician. He has made musical contributions to a long list of artists that includes Sheryl Crow, Jellyfish, Tommy Keene, Allison Moorer, Adam Schmitt and Billy Joe Shaver.

Tour dates for Jay Bennett are as follows:

December 7       Tractor Tavern         Seattle, WA
December 8       Roturre                Portland, OR
December 9       Old Ironsides          Sacramento, CA
December 10      Rickshaw Stop          San Francisco, CA
December 11      Silverlake Lounge      Los Angeles, CA

Media: Jay Bennett is available for interviews and we encourage your coverage. To schedule an interview or review please contact Amber Haeckel at 212.287.6116 or amber.haeckel@rykodisc.com.

RYKODISC

Founded in 1983, Rykodisc was the world's first CD-only label and is the company that "reinvented the reissue." Rykodisc and its sister company Ryko Distribution are both headquartered in New York City and are subsidiaries of Warner Music Group. The Rykodisc vault spans over one thousand albums including the Frank Zappa catalog as well as the Restless and Hannibal labels. For additional information please visit www.rykodisc.com