(in no particular order) Neil Young, Igor Stravinsky, Nick Drake, Duke Ellington, Toots Theilemans, Bill Frisell, Van Morrison, Elmer Fudd, Charles Bukowski, Bill Clinton, Martin Luther King Jr., Elvis Presley, Aristotle, Hank Mobley, Johann Sebastian Bach, the Ramones, Jaco Pastorius, Paul Desmond, Anthony Braxton, Howard Levy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Kenneth Cole, Jack Kerouac, Louis Armstrong, Jamey Aebersold, My Bloody Valentine, Beck, Prince, Yoda, Hal McCusick, Joe Diorio, Jerry Douglas, Paul Simon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Frank Zappa, Madonna, Yo-Yo Ma, Jan Garbarek, Paul Chambers, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans...
Sounds Like
Neil Young, Stravinsky, Nick Drake, Duke Ellington, Toots Theilemans, Bill Frisell, Van Morrison. Or none of these fine folks.
"Jazz rocker" (SFWeekly) singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Ben Graves represents an eclectic history of musical experience; in high school in rural Tennessee he was a neo-folk/classical guitarist, a jazz saxophonist, and the lead singer in a band that would become the platinum-selling hard rock outfit Fuel. He attended Wesleyan University and Berklee College of Music (where he was awarded scholarships for both saxophone and voice) studying with avante-garde maverick Anthony Braxton, Ghanaian master-drummer Abraham Adzinyah and pop icon Billy Joel. After Berklee, Ben won an assistantship at Washington State University where he earned a master's degree in music and was recognized as “outstanding alto saxophonist” at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. After grad school, Graves found his way to San Francisco. From 1996 to 2003, he honed his craft, recording 2 original Cds and performing his original music in many of the Bay Area's hippest venues: the Fillmore, Great American Music Hall, Café du Nord, the Hotel Utah, Freight and Salvage, Sweetwater… In 2003, he moved to Nashville Tennessee, where he worked as a sideman with country artists Rebecca Lynn Howard, James Otto, Amy Dalley, among others. He spent most of 2005 doing administrative work for the New York Philharmonic in Manhattan and taking part in the New York scene before returning to Nashville, where he remains active as a session musician, performing songwriter, sideman, and educator.
Ben is a true multi-instrumentalist; he's jammed on guitar and harmonica with Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith, played electric bass with Kid Rock and at the Grand Ole Opry, and has blown saxophone with Modern Jazz Quartet bassist Percy Heath, Late Show drummer Anton Fig, and tons of people you've never heard of. His voice-over and instrumental skills have contributed to dozens of jingles and original recordings.
His CD, Memphis, has been played on over 300 radio stations worldwide, and in the summer of 2002, charted top 30 at some 50 stations, such as WTSR Ewing, NJ (3), WNYK Nyack, NY (10), and WUIC Chicago (14). Memphis features the contributions of pros such as drummer Scott Amendola, keyboardist Rob Burger (Tin Hat Trio, Norah Jones), and bassist Lee Alexander (Norah Jones). Rosalie Howarth of San Francisco's KFOG called it "very, very good"; "excellent CD," said KRZA in Colorado; and "a great, great disc," said music director Sean Wilson of WTSR.
Live chronicles the Ben Graves duo's 4-year Thursday night steady at SF's vibey cocktail lounge, Tonic. Live showcases Graves' writing, baritone guitar work, and live loops (amidst the clinking beer glasses and bar banter), in the liberating context of a 'rock duet' featuring Jim Kassis or Darian Gray on drums. The first CD from the Ben Graves trio, Crazy Italians, included the cut "Princess Grace," which was featured on the Performing Songwriter magazine 1999 CD sampler showcasing their picks for the top 12 unsigned independent releases. Critic Russell Hall of Performing Songwriter called Crazy Italians "consistently fresh and inventive," and "intelligent pop music--tightly crafted songs that lend themselves well to improvisation in a live setting."
And improvise he does. Musing Americana as a songwriter, Ben embraces the jazz ethic of keeping the performance loose enough so that almost anything can happen, and nothing sounds stale. Solo, or in the company of other fine musicians, Ben Graves weaves his unique harmony and soulful voice into a truly original tapestry that is at once innovative, informed, and inspired.
Just stopping by to say hello - looking forward to Tarrytown and Madsqpark (giving up live Gaucho at the Beacon that night for you - doing Royal Scam on Friday instead) Be seriously honored - I am a Steely Dan lover. Now, who's gonna take those Wednesday tix off my hands????
Thanks for the ADD! Hope you enjoy my music as much as I enjoyed yours! Leave a comment and let me know what you think! While your there, you should subscribe to my blog! You can check me out on facebook, iLike, youtube and airplaydirect.com! You can also go to myxer.com to download my ringtones for FREE! My music is now available on iTunes and I would love for you to download! Have a wonderful day and keep in touch! :)
Hey, Hope you are happy and well...we miss you...please say that No. Calif. is in your NEAR future!!!!! You are soooo cool!!! Peace and love, Lori and Dan xoxoxoxoxox
Hello My Friend, Miss you and we send our love and best wishes to you!!!!! Be happy and well and we look forward to seeing you....soon???...anytime!!!!! Love, Lori and Dan
Nice seeing you again in the Big D. Please ask Chris, and John to check there my space's. I'm on facebook, but still don't know how to operate there yet. Thanks, Christi.
Hello Dear One, Hope you are happy and well!!! Miss you and your sweet sound!!! Hope that you are great, and enjoying every minute of vacation!!! We miss you and look forward to seeing you as soon as you let us!!!!!! Your friends, love, Lori and Dan
Hey Ben, Just a note to say Hi and we think You are truly gifted and we are so glad to be able to see you...Be happy and well and give our love to the boys, always, Lori and Dan
Hello Dear One, Hope you are happy and well and kickin' a**!!!! We miss you and look forward to our next party together...Hope Jamison found a trumpet that makes him happy!!!! You guys are so much fun!!!! Enjoy and know you are missed, Love and Peace, Lori and Dan
Just a note to say how touched we are by your talent and kindness...what a guy!!!!!! So excited to be your friend, Thanks, Peace and Love always, Lori and Dan Happy St. Patty's Day!!!
