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.

Eliza Salem, The Catholics, Brandon Seabrook, Bill Frisell, Skúli Sverrisson & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 30, 2026

A gathering of adventurous musicians who refuse to stay in their lane, from offbeat twists and radical reinventions to restless imagination and understated magic, plus and the much-awaited return of Lloyd Swanton's The Catholics.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Federico Casagrande “Take Me Away ...

Kiefer, Nate Smith, Echoes of Zoo, Léon Phal, Thiefs, Fathers

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 27, 2026

A groovy playlist featuring music that blurs boundaries: between past, present and future; between cultures and places; and between genres. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Nate Smith “Cough-Drop" Live-Action (Naive) 0:16 Host talks 4:37 Kiefer “I Let My Hair Grow" Memory Bomb ...

Huey Lewis, Cory Weeds, Stan Getz, Nova Fellowship, Calibro 35 & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 27, 2026

A playlist of unexpected connections: from Cory Weeds to Stan Getz, with Huey Lewis as the missing link; from James Ellroy to Calibro 35's cinematic funk-jazz; and from Steve Reid to today's scene via Nova Fellowship--with a few more surprises along the way.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash ...

Helen Sung, Emma Dayhuff, Bill Lee, Isaiah Collier, Gaia Wilmer, Heisenberg Uncertainty Players

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 24, 2026

One of our favorite albums of the year, music born on the Chicago-LA express, a rediscovery of Bill Lee and a joyride with Isaiah Collier, tributes to Herbie Hancock and Gilberto Gil, and a healthy dose of quantum mechanics... Sounds like a strange equation? Tune in to the wonderfully unpredictable world of Mondo Jazz and see ...

Jimetta Rose, Emile Parisien, Carla Marciano, Julieta Eugenio, Punkt.Vrt.Plastik, Kurt Elling

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 20, 2026

After a few weeks during which we've delved into the legacies of Cassandra Wilson, Stevie Wonder and Dave Holland, a huge pile of new releases has built up on our virtual desks and hard drives. And so we're back to our usual format: plentiful of new releases, where the borders between jazz, global music, electronics and ...

Ayumi Tanaka, Nduduzo Makhathini, Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
October 13, 2026

Tributes to Miles Davis, essential reissues, and compelling new releases come together in a set full of sonic adventures, surprises, and soul-searching.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Nicholas Payton, Butcher Brown “So What" A Supreme Blue (Concord Jazz) 0:16 Host talks 8:14 Nduduzo Makhathini ...

New Releases and Avant Classics

by Jon Greenbaum
October 11, 2026

How many new releases are highlighted? Eight. What else? Jazz from the past century--stuff that pushed the tradition a bit and stuff that pushed the tradition a lot.Playlist Cassandra Wilson “Electromagnolia" from Days Aweigh (JMT) 0h 0m 0s Lester Bowie “Sardegna Amore" from The 5th Power (Black Saint) 0h 4m 40s Ishamel Reed “Rhythm ...