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.

Gegè Telesforo, Ben Sidran, Jamie Baum, Dayna Stephens & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 26, 2024

Enjoy a playlist steeped in music about the times we live in--courtesy of Jamie Baum, Black Lives and Ben Sidran. Also featured is a new album by Italian singer Gegè Telesforo and two albums by or featuring Dayna Stephens.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 ...

Don Was, divr, Roberto Gatto, Lucy Woodward, Peter Erskine & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 25, 2024

The return of Don Was behind the bass, tributes to Tony Williams and Leonard Bernstein and much more in another energizing edition of Mondo Jazz.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 The Jazz Defenders “Snakebite Playfight" Memory in Motion (Haggis) 0:16 Host talks 4:56 Lucy ...

Jazz for Hollywood: Branford Marsalis and Laura Karpman

by Ludovico Granvassu
April 20, 2024

This time we are focusing on jazz-infused soundtracks that received Academy Awards nominations for Best Original Score in a Feature Film, because jazz does a great job a propelling a movie story forward. Kudos to Laura Karpman, the composer of the soundtrack for American Fiction and Branford Marsalis for the soundtrack of Rustin, two scores that ...

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. ...