Ben Allison
rock and folk to 20th century classical and world music, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole. With his groups The Ben Allison Band, Think Free, The Easy Way Trio, Peace Pipe, and Medicine Wheel, Ben has toured extensively throughout the world, winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.
Recent performance highlights include Carnegie Hall (New York City), Teatro Manzoni (Milan, Italy), Teatro Roberto Cantoral (Mexico City, Mexico), Central Park’s SummerStage (New York, NY), Auditório Ibirapuera (Sao Paulo, Brazil), The Capitol Theater (Salt Lake City, NV), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, CA) and Queen Elizabeth Hall (London, England).
In 2005, 2008 and 2013, Ben was a featured composer, arranger and performer with Jazz Sinfonica, an 80-piece orchestra based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The orchestra performed Ben’s compositions Little Things Run the World, Riding the Nuclear Tiger, Roll Credits, Green Al, and others from his various albums. Ben performed his Carnegie Hall debut as a leader in February 2012. A multi-part short documentary of Ben preparing for the concert was filmed.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Ben has performed and collaborated with an extremely diverse range of artists including oudist Ara Dinkjian, kora player Mamadou Diabate, saxophonists Lee Konitz and Joe Lovano, Cambodian chapei master Kong Nay, legendary performance artist Joey Arias, tap dancers Jimmy Slide and Gregory Hines and US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.
He has appeared on over 50 albums by various artists and has written music for film, television and radio, including the theme for the National Public Radio (NPR) show On the Media (which boasts a listenership of over 2,000,000 people), the score for Two Days, a play written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donald Margulies and the theme for The Conversation, a webcast talk show hosted by Pharrell Williams.
Projects
Ben Allison Band
Ben Allison – bass / Steve Cardenas – guitar / Brandon Seabrook – guitar, banjo / Allison Miller – drums
‘When people say that the frame of jazz is flexible enough to admit pretty much anything, they might be thinking of bandleaders like the bassist Ben Allison.’ – NY Times
Called “one of today’s best young jazz musicians” by the Boston Globe and a “visionary composer, adventurous improviser, and strong organizational force on the New York City jazz scene” by JazzTimes, Ben has released 11 albums — The Stars Look Very Different Today (2013, Sonic Camera Records) and Action-Refraction (2011), Think Free (2009), Little Things Run the World (2008), Cowboy Justice (2006), Buzz (2004), Peace Pipe (2002), Riding the Nuclear Tiger (2001), Third Eye (1999), Medicine Wheel (1998) and Seven Arrows (1996) on Palmetto Records — all of which showcase Ben’s forward-thinking vision as a bassist, composer, arranger, producer, and mixing engineer, as well as his hands-on approach to his craft.
easy way trio
Ben Allison – bass / Ted Nash – saxophone, clarinet / Steve Cardenas – guitar
Bassist/composer Ben Allison, one of a few bandleaders working in jazz today who has developed his own instantly identifiable sound, celebrates the release of a new recording, “Quiet Revolution.” Known for his inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and hummable melodies, Ben draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to 20th century classical and world music, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole. For this special project, Allison teams up with two leading lights of the NYC music scene, guitarist Steve Cardenas and saxophonist/clarinetist Ted Nash to form a group modeled after the drummer-less trios of Jimmy Giuffre and Jim Hall. The material includes tunes by Jim and Jimmy, as well as originals inspired by their music. It’s conversational and intimate—small-group interplay at it’s best.
Ben Allison & think free
Ben Allison – bass / Jeremy Pelt – trumpet / Steve Cardenas – guitar / Rudy Royston – drums
‘Whenever some fool goes on about the death of jazz, play that misguided soul some of the latest album from New York bassist Ben Allison.’ – Los Angeles Times
7 of Ben’s albums have reached #1 on the CMJ national jazz radio charts, often remaining in the top 10 for many weeks, garnering him 8 SESAC National Performance Awards. His album Action-Refraction was named one of the Best Albums of 2011 (of any genre) by NPR and Time Out New York. His albums have consistently been named as among the best of the year by publications such as Billboard, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Village Voice, Jazz Times, Jazz Journalists Association, Downbeat Critics Poll, All About Jazz, Coda (Canada), Jazzit (Italy) and Jazz Review (UK), among many others.