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.

Triological

By Ben Allison

Label: Sunnyside Records
Released: 2026
Track listing: See Forever; Puddle Jumper; Burnt Toast & Avocado; Fellas with Umbrellas; Milton; By Heart; For Bill; Back Home; Ida's Spoons; Peace Out There.

Love Is The Whole Thing, We Are Only Pieces

By Matt Wilson

Label: Palmetto Records
Released: 2026
Track listing: Wind Spirit; Fuller Love; I Won't Back Down; Black Fire; Joonam; Anyone Who Had A Heart; Welcome Table; Green Al; Festival; Love Is The Whole Thing,We Are Only Pieces.

Siril Malmedal Hauge, Kjetil Mulelid, Sullivan Fortner, Columbia Icefield & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 8, 2026

Enjoy another installment in that living, shape-shifting conversation stretching from Brooklyn basements to festivals around the globe--which we like to call jazz.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Sullivan Fortner “Another Poignant Time" Leave That in There (Artwork) 0:16 Host talks 2:31 Ben Wolfe “5-4 ...

Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart, Argot Lunaire & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 6, 2026

A selection of recent gems where seasoned improvisers and adventurous new voices meet at the crossroads of groove, abstraction and lyrical invention.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Marc Benham “Cioran Boogaloo" Tricératops (Pégazz & L'Hélicon) 0:16 Host talks 4:30 Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill ...

Jumpin' In: Inside the World of Dave Holland - Part 3

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 1, 2026

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 As Dave Holland turns 80, we celebrate a career that has kept jazz in constant motion for six decades. Enjoy this playlist that highlights his interest in other music genres, and his special relationship with guitar players. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison ...

Points of View: Celebrating Dave Holland

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 1, 2026

Birthdays offer an annual opportunity to celebrate. Milestone birthdays offer something more: a chance to take stock. But when a towering figure in jazz turns 80 after six decades of music-making, how do we even begin to take the measure of a musical life so rich, so wide-ranging, and so influential? A comprehensive interview ...

Jumpin' In: Inside the World of Dave Holland, Part 1

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 1, 2026

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Celebrating Dave Holland's 80th birthday with music drawn from six decades of creative music making, and the many sides of his voice as bassist, composer, and bandleader. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 ...

Jumpin' In: Inside the World of Dave Holland, Part 2

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 1, 2026

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Another selection celebrating Dave Holland's extraordinary musical legacy, from intimate explorations to expansive ensemble work and everything in between. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette} “Back-Woods Song" ...

Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Jazz - Part 3

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 28, 2026

The third and final part of our celebration of 50 years of Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life--with more jazz renditions of this timeless masterpiece.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Gato Barbieri “Ngiculela--Es una Historia--I Am Singing" Ruby Ruby (A&M) 0:16 Host ...