Jazz Articles about Ben Crosland

About Ben Crosland

Album Review

Ben Crosland Quintet: North York Skies

Read "North York Skies" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
August 7, 2026

Bassist Ben Crosland's compositions are invariably rooted in strong melodies, but they are equally shaped by a sense of place. North York Skies is a heartfelt tribute to the North York Moors, celebrating the beauty, history, folklore and mythology of the upland national park in the English county of North Yorkshire. As Crosland explains, “The twelve compositions are inspired by the beauty and majesty of the Moors and the surrounding countryside, the legends and characters that abound there, and some personal connections ...

Album Review

Threeway with special guest John Etheridge: Harken!

by Neil Duggan
June 22, 2024

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Threeway. This chamber jazz trio without drums consists of bassist Ben Crosland, pianist Steve Lodder and Steve Waterman on trumpet and flugelhorn. They have released three previous albums on the Jazz Cat label: Conversations (2005), Songs of the Year (2009) and Looking Forward, Looking Back (2013). For this recording, they have recruited guitarist John Etheridge. Between them, the four musicians have extensive experience, having played with artists as diverse as Carla Bley, Mal Waldron, ...

Album Review

Ben Crosland Quintet: The Ray Davies Songbook

Read "The Ray Davies Songbook" reviewed by Roger Farbey

by Roger Farbey
June 2, 2016

Given the number of hit songs Ray Davies has written over his years fronting The Kinks, it's astonishing that nothing like this CD has ever seen the light of a laser. There have been a myriad of Beatles tunes set to jazzy interpretations plus jazz covers of the music of other 1960s rock stars including Jimi Hendrix, (Gil Evans) and even The Rolling Stones (Joe Pass). A further example is found on the excellent, if slightly bizarre, Experiments With Pops ...