On 'Out of Nowhere:
Guesting with Les Paul at Iridium, New York, September 08
On 'Little Apple', and 'Loose Change':
Adam Jackson-as
Mike Fletcher-ss
Andy Bunting-nord
Rob Anstey-b
John Randall-d
On 'Dutch Courage':
Lluis Mather -ss, Adam Jackson -as, Andy Bunting -p, Rob Anstey -b, John Randall -dr
On 'Playback':
Andy Bunting-p
John Randall-d
Rob Anstey-b
On 'A Division':
Konrad Wiszniewski -ss, Adam Jackson -as, Andy Bunting -p, Euan Burton -b, John Randall -dr
On 'September Song'
Euan Burton -b
On ''Round Midnight':
Tom Gibbs -p, Euan Burton -b, Doug Hough -dr
Influences
Sonny Rollins, Mike Williams, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Donny McCaslin, Lee Konitz, Warne March, Seamus, Mark Turner, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler
Sounds Like
A warped combination of Sonny Rollins and Warne Marsh perhaps
My name is Ben Bryden, I am a saxophone player and composer currently enrolled on (with support from the Countess of Munster Trust and Holywood Trust) Manhattan School of Music's master of jazz programme where I am currently studying with the likes of George Garzone, Dave Liebman and Phil Markowitz.
I have recently been performing with Kenny Wollesen's 'Wollesonic' at 'Le Poisson Rouge' and 'Music Hall of Williamsburg' and my collaborative project with Belgian saxophonist Steven Delannoye, entitled 'Bright Noise' is set to tour europe in 2010 following a few dates in NYC, featuring Dustin Kaufman, Des White and Tim Basom.
I began playing saxophone at age 12 as part of Dumfries Youth Jazz Group and at 15 I began studying with one of Scotland's foremost saxophonists, Laura MacDonald. Laura gave me the knowledge and the confidence which saw me through to play with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra.
Since gaining a place at Birmingham Conservatoire in 2004, I have had the opportunity to learn from some fantastic musicians - Mike Williams, Julian Seigel, Jean Toussaint, Hans Koller, Liam Noble, Phil Robson to name but a few. Since arriving in New York I have also studied with George Garzone, Seamus Blake, Donny McCaslin, David Binney and Will Vinson
I have previously played in various groups of assorted genres, for example: Mike Fletcher's 'More Or Less Ensemble', Aaron Diaz's 'Zappajazz', The Paul Memmory Quintet and many more. However, my main focus is my own band...
The Ben Bryden Band has latterly featured original compositions influenced by the likes of Brian Blade, Kenny Wheeler and Dave Holland, and in recent years has appeared in various places: Lockerbie Jazz Festival 2006-08, Glasgow Jazz Festival Homegrown 2007, Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2007 and 2008. Other memorable gigs have been: Birmingham Jazz at the Jam House, Cobweb events at The Yardbird, White Swan and The Cross in Birmingham and also the Loop Collective at the Oxford, London. The most recent line-up has consisted of: Mike Fletcher-ss, Adam Jackson-as, Andy Bunting-p, Rob Anstey-b, and John Randall-d, but ocassionally features guests such as Sam Wooster-tp, Neil Yates-tp, Konrad Weisniewski-ss and Luis Mather-ss.
Other highlights include guesting with the legendary Les Paul at the Iridium in New York, Sept 2008, with the Dan Weiss Trio in 2008 and winning the 2006 Edinburgh Jazz Festival Jam Competition
Recently I also established the Dumfries Jazz Clamjamphrie, a brand new music festival for South West Scotland which was aimed at giving young people the chance to see top quality jazz on their doorstep (a very rare occurrence in Dumfries!). This featured New York drummer Ari Hoenig as well as Scottish legend Bobby Wellins.
If you like what you have heard here, and would like to know more, please feel free to get in touch either by sending me a message, or by email: benjaminbryden@gmail.com. I will add new tracks as and when they occur, so keep checking back!
Ben.
"Well-defined, tightly executed compositions" - Rob Adams, The Herald "Hot and fast rising sax player with dynamite band of new talent" - Bill Kyle, The Jazz Bar, Edinburgh
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Yeah, he's shit, i don't know why i got him on that session....only joking mate, body and soul sounds pretty damn good. Drivings going ok, i'm practicing all the manouvers at the moment, so it can get a bit hairy [parallel parking!], doing ok though. hope the practicings going ok, its not at my end, i'm working like a japanese prisoner of war.......
