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Ben Bohorquez

UNT Fall '09 Graduate w/ Jazz Studies degree: Ben now plays around the DFW area with various projects.

About Me

Ben Bohorquez is a local musician in the DFW area. Born in El Paso, TX, his family moved around from Indianapolis, IN to La Paz, Bolivia before settling down in Houston, TX. His mother taught him piano lessons early at the age of 5, but Ben started taking music more seriously when he chose to play the saxophone in 6th grade. Through the band programs, private instruction with local legend Martin Langford, and his fathers church where he became a worship leader at age 12, Ben excelled in music and was exposed to many different styles. Martin Langford introduced him to great saxophone players who improvised in the many different styles of jazz. This became a goal at an early age.

After graduating from the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), Ben moved to Denton, TX to pursue a Jazz Studies degree from the University of North Texas. He was in the last generation of UNT students who studied with Jim Riggs, and the first generation to study with Brad Leali. He recorded with the UNT Jazz Singers I and the 2 O'Clock Lab Band. Ben completed his degree in 2009 and now resides in Dallas, TX where he is a freelance musician. He performs regularly with The Funky Knuckles, Tatiana 'LadyMay' Mayfield, Catie Waters, RSVP, and Hungry Jaxx. He has also performed with Snarky Puppy and Foley.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it's a vehicle of expression through improvisation over great compositions. I was first exposed to jazz in 6th grade when I started taking private lessons with Martin Langford. I met John Ellis and Mike Moreno when they came to HSPVA for a lecture. John Ellis became a big influence on my playing. The best show I ever attended was Chick Corea, Christian McBride, and Steve Gadd at the North Texas Jazz Festival in 2005. The first jazz record I owned was given to my by my uncle Paul. It was Getz/Gilberto and the first solo I transcribed was Stan Getz on Girl from Ipanema. My advice to new listeners find the influences of your favorite artists and listen to them.