Welcome!
Currently residing in Rochester, NY, where he is a doctoral student at the Eastman School of Music, Ben has a warm, lyrical guitar style, most reminiscent of the classic stylists of the 1950s and 1960s. Currently a student of guitarist Bob Sneider, Ben has also had the opportunity to study under many notable jazz musicians including Don Thompson, Kelly Jefferson, Reg Schwager, Peter Bernstein and Grant Stewart. Notable performances include a warmly received concert featuring one of jazz’s most unique and legendary alto saxophonists, Lee Konitz, along with his longtime accompanist, pianist Harold Danko. During 2009 Ben was the guitarist with the Dave Rivello New Jazz Ensemble, winner of the Downbeat Magazine 2009 Student Jazz Award for best big band. In early 2011 Ben played guitar on a concert in Manhattan directed by Ryan Truesdell in which recently unearthed arrangements by the late Gil Evans were performed. The concert featured guests Phil Woods, Frank Kimbrough, Andy Bey, Steve Wilson and Helen Merill, among others. Ben has been collaborating with fellow Eastman student pianist/organist, Jeff McLeod, for the past several years in a variety of musical contexts.