Results for "Ben Allison"

Ben Allison

Born: November 17, 1966

In a career that spans over 30 years, bassist/composer Ben Allison has developed his own instantly identifiable sound. 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 and a broad range of music from around the world, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.

With his small groups, Ben has toured extensively throughout the world building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.

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, to name a few. 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.

Julieta Eugenio, Hugues Mayot, Amirtha Kidambi, Adam Levy & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 18, 2024

Julian Lage's latest album--possibly his best to date--opens a playlist of recent releases spanning many styles and cultural influences.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Julian Lage “76" Speak to Me (Blue Note) 0:16 Host talks 4:49 Adam Levy feat. Larry Grenadier, Joey Baron “Mitchum" ...

Christopher Hoffman, Anna Webber, Liv Andrea Hauge, Geoffrey Dean & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 16, 2024

A playlist showcasing the interesting new releases by Christopher Hoffman, the Liv Andrea Hauge Trio, Travis Reuter, Geoffrey Dean and a number of recent albums we already featured in the past, but were too good not to get back to one more time.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash ...

Luke Carlos O'Reilly, Vinnie Sperrazza, Brad Mehldau, Jean-Christophe Cholet & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 13, 2024

A soulful rendition of Curtis Fuller's “Mini Mama," and two recent albums featuring Vinnie Sperrazza open an edition of Mondo Jazz which then features three projects at the intersection of jazz and classical music.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Luke Carlos O'Reilly “Mini Mama" ...

Graham Haynes, Triad, Raffi Garabedian, Chief Keegan & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 11, 2024

The New York residency of Graham Haynes at FourOneOne offers an opportunity to look back at his seminal album The Griot's Footsteps and at his recent collaboration with Brandon Ross. Before that, a playlist rich in remarkable new releases! Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng ...

Vinícius Cantuária, Sam Fribush, Haroldo Bontempo, Natalie Cressman & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 9, 2024

The mighty organ trio of Sam Fribush opens a set mostly devoted to post-bossa nova Brazilian projects. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Sam Fribush “Supper / Make Me a Plate" People Please (Flybird) 0:16 Host talks 5:23 Ricardo Dias Gomes “Morrerei ...

Xero, Chance & Lurie

by Ludovico Granvassu
March 29, 2024

Three new releases by John Lurie, Benjamin Herman and Fergus Quill give us the opportunity to pay tribute to three musicians whose no-holds-barred attitude significantly marked the scenes in New York and the UK in the 1980s, and now: Xero Slingsby, James Chance and Lurie.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. ...

Nout, Toine Thys, Kamasi Washington, Emile Parisien & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
March 27, 2024

Here's the long and short of it: Bill Frisell goes orchestral, Emile Parisien is cookin,' Nout goes live, Kamasi Washington is back with a prologue to his new album, producer Church Chords channels his inner Hal Willer, and Toine Thys's Orlando sounds better then ever.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. ...

Sanne Rambags, Kenneth Jimenez, Bex Burch, Trish Clowes & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
March 26, 2024

Chamber jazz, field recordings, and deep deep deep interplay are at the heart of this exciting playlist.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Ethan Iverson “Victory Is Assured (Alla Breve)" Technically Acceptable (Blue Note) 0:16 Host talks 2:53 Bex Burch “Dawn Blessings" There Is Only ...

Curtis Taylor, Logan Richardson, Steve Cardenas & Brian Scarborough

by Joe Dimino
March 24, 2024

From the chops of Kansas City trombonist Brian Scarborough, we open the 847th Episode of Neon Jazz with a tune full of KC in Central Standard Time. We onto Logan Richardson, who also has KC roots, with music from his 2024 release, Secret Garden. We also feature a host of new tunes from the likes of ...