Whenever Bell gets the urge to play out he is backed up by local rockabilly faves the Bedlamville Triflers. These guys are pro and know how to tear it up as well as make you cry. Bell knows the right balance between ballads, rockers, and two-steppers to keep your honey wanting him! ;) Don't worry, he's taken by the Belle of Baton Rouge, but he still wants to make all of you dance. Come on out and see a really, really fun show with a great band. See them below as top friends and check them out as themselves.
Live in concert, it is rockabilly smooth and fun, classic country-sounding, swinging, cool singer-songwriting and Americana. These genres define Ben Bell. Having been compared to Chris Isaak, Glenn Campbell and Frank Sinatra, his originals stand out as much as his choice of coversow. Of course, Bell loves to tear it up either on the acoustic guitar or upright bass or full band, but his main instrument is his voice.
Ben Bell has played throughout Texas, having held residencies, among other places, at such Austin institutions as Hole in The Wall and Ego's Lounge, where all the great roots music groups play at one time or another. His old group, The Stardust Boys, played for festivals, private parties, weddings and esteemed social functions throughout Texas. June 15, 2001 is even Ben Bell Day in Austin, Texas--the mayor himself gave Ben a certificate honoring his contributions to the Austin music scene.
Bell moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to pursue his Masters Degree in Library and Information Science and is now Director of West Feliciana Parish Library in beautiful St. Francisville, Louisiana, but still keeps his musical chops up. He has played at Chelsea's as a solo act; singing, whistling, yodeling, playing the kazoo and slapping the upright bass the best he can. He is cool and also a lot of fun and also entertains crowds at parties with his voice and acoustic guitar, where people stop what they are doing and listen. Truly, Ben's musical performance is charismatic and of professional quality and that is what makes him stand out from the Baton Rouge crowd. Book him for your next performance today.
If you would like a record, please send $15 and he'll send you one (that includes shipping and handling). It's really good because Bell threw his soul into it for so long. It is designed to look like an old vinyl record with a slipcase and album-looking CD. Fun.
By the way, if you ever make it down to Shiner, Texas, stop by Howard's and get yourself a Shiner on tap, some bait and some ammo. Tell him Ben Bell said hello. He'll be glad you did.
The "Train" Rolls In By Tom Weber Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
BYRON -- Wayne "the Train" Hancock, whose traditional country music is strongly influenced by Hank Williams and Bob Wills, will perform at 8 p.m. April 25 at the Byron American Legion Post.
Hancock calls himself a "hillbilly with attitude," and says he wants to take back country music from the over-commercialization of recent decades. As a clue to his viewpoint, Hancock is based in Austin, Texas, rather than the traditional country hometown of Nashville.
"I'm like a stab wound in the fabric of country music in Nashville," Hancock has said.
The AllMusic Guide says of Hancock, "A rare breed of traditionalist, one who imbues his retro obsessions with such high energy and passions that his songs never feel like the museum pieces he's trying desperately to preserve. "
Hancock's latest CD, "Viper of Melody," is produced by Lloyd Maines, who has produced albums for Wilco, Uncle Tupelo and the Dixie Chicks.
Tickets are $15, available at the door. Opening act is Brother Music Sister Rhythm. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m.
Ben, sorry to be such a bother of late, but I finally feel inspired and it has activated my dormant mind, my friend. I have forgotten that we have such sublime contemporary poetry, I mean great poetry (in the time frame as poetry goes), suspired forth with great force by a great, subtle black American voice. And now a new President. He will hopefully end all hyphenations of a bygone ages. Will we now finally have the ancient breath of our great Mississippi River, like the Indians have with their Ganges, the Germans their Rhine, the English their Thames, and the French their Seine. I think so.
My dear friend, I arrived home and was going through my daily email, with a pint, or three, of cold Gunniess beer and thought of an old poem I haven't in years. It's by the great poet, Robert Graves, who gave us the "White Goddess." Sometimes one forgets that poetry is more than Keats, Yeats, and Eliot. I know I do. I particularly love the last two lines:
Strong Beer
“WHAT do you think The bravest drink Under the sky?” “Strong beer,” said I.
“There’s a place for everything, Everything, anything, There’s a place for everything Where it ought to be: For a chicken, the hen’s wing; For poison, the bee’s sting; For almond-blossom, Spring; A beerhouse for me.”
“There’s a prize for every one Every one, any one, There’s a prize for every one, Whoever he may be: Crags for the mountaineer, Flags for the Fusilier, For English poets, beer! Strong beer for me!”
“Tell us, now, how and when We may find the bravest men?” “A sure test, an easy test: Those that drink beer are the best, Brown beer strongly brewed, English drink and English food.”
Oh, never choose as Gideon chose By the cold well, but rather those Who look on beer when it is brown, Smack their lips and gulp it down. Leave the lads who tamely drink With Gideon by the water brink, But search the benches of the Plough, The Tun, the Sun, the Spotted Cow, For jolly rascal lads who pray, Pewter in hand, at close of day, “Teach me to live that I may fear The grave as little as my beer.”
Ben is this sentiment more sensible? Now that I am older, it is for me.
THE SCHOLARS
BALD heads forgetful of their sins, Old, learned, respectable bald heads Edit and annotate the lines That young men, tossing on their beds, Rhymed out in love's despair To flatter beauty's ignorant ear. All shuffle there; all cough in ink; All wear the carpet with their shoes; All think what other people think; All know the man their neighbour knows. Lord, what would they say Did their Catullus walk that way?
