Name: Kipp Bentley and The Night Letter Orchestra
Start: 2026-07-11T19:00:00
End: 2026-07-12T11:00:00
Location: Unit B

Kipp Bentley brings The Night Letter Orchestra to Unit B for one special night celebrating the release of his new record Night Letter, produced by James Raymond. The evening features the full band of standout Santa Fe musicians who appear on the recording, performing the songs live for the first time together on stage. Nathan Dunton, a Unit B favorite, opens the show.Bentley’s songs find the quiet drama in everyday lives. And on Night Letter, he writes about people and places trying to hold their ground against time and change — long marriages, quiet towns, neon lit bars, lost loves, and the stubborn resilience it takes to keep a life together. With a full band behind him, the songs stretch out in new directions, moving easily between intimate storytelling and wide-open ensemble playing.A longtime songwriter, Bentley’s first album, Rose of Jericho, was named Album of the Year at the 2021 New Mexico Music Awards. He followed that in 2023 with Durable Goods, which received several awards nominations, strong local radio play and enthusiastic audience responses. Night Letter continues that trajectory with a set of a dozen songs rooted in the high desert landscapes of northern New Mexico.Born and raised in Indiana, a couple of generations removed from his family’s Jackson County farm, stories and music were always a part of Bentley’s life. His mother played piano and sang in church choirs, while his father — a California-born salesman with wide-ranging musical tastes — brought home library records by Leadbelly, Skip James, Billie Holiday, and other blues greats.As a teenager influenced by folk, rock and 70’s era singer-songwriters, he learned to play the family’s old Stella guitar and soon began writing his own songs. Through college he played solo and in bands, sometimes for rooms full of people, often not.After earning an art degree he moved to Colorado and began teaching. That eventually led to many years in Denver, where he continued writing songs and performing. During that time he was a longstanding member of The Schoolboys, a Denver dance band with the motto “Songs you love played by people you like.”These days Bentley performs regularly around Santa Fe and northern New Mexico. What he appreciates most about playing live is the moment when a room of strangers slowly becomes a room of listeners — when a song lands, a band locks in, and everyone feels like they’re part of the same small story unfolding in real time.And he’s still chasing the same things as when he first picked up that old Stella guitar: making songs that feel honest, useful, and worth keeping. <h3>The Night Letter Orchestra</h3>Kipp Bentley — acoustic guitar, vocals Nathan Dunton — backing vocals James Raymond — piano, B3 organ, other instruments Jon Gagan — upright &amp; electric bass Mark Clark — drums Karina Wilson — violin Jon Graboff — pedal steel, electric guitar, mandolin Jono Manson — electric, tenor &amp; baritone guitars Dinner and cocktails starting at 5:30 pm. Showtime is 7:00 pm. Reservations highly recommended.