Ben Allison Official News Feed

New shows announced in West Long Branch, NJ - New York, NY

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.March 30, 2012 - West Long Branch, NJ - Pollak Theatre
Address: 400 Cedar Ave. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

March 31, 2012 - New York, NY - Cornelia Street Cafe
Address: 29 Cornelia St. - Map
Time : 8:30 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

The Tradition of Jazz is Non-Traditionalism: Ben’s Conversation with Aaron Siegel Part 2

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:37:10 +0000

Go to www.carnegiehall.org

Keeping Pirates at Bay – Ben Speaks Out on The Checkout, WBGO-FM

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:13:04 +0000

I talk to WBGO’s Josh Jackson about my Carnegie Hall debut, my recent album, and my defense of intellectual property.

Listen

Action-Refraction picked as “Best Foreign CD” by All About Jazz Italia

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:31:16 +0000

italia.allaboutjazz.com

Carnegie Hall Blog Post #3 – New Video

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 03:18:23 +0000

In this third video for Carnegie Hall, we walk around the neighborhood and talk about how the sounds of NYC have influenced me musically.

View Carnegie Hall Blog

New show announced in New York, NY at WNYC Studio on January 12, 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.January 12, 2012 - New York, NY - WNYC Studio
Address: 44 Charlton Street - Map
Time : 2:30 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

SOPA is Not An issue of Freedom of Speech

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:05:39 +0000

There’s an important debate that’s beginning to emerge, the outcome of which promises to have a profound impact on the music industry. The proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) would allow the Justice Department to shut down (after due process) what are called “rogue” websites. Rogue websites like Pirate Bay are offshore or foreign sites whose main purpose is to offer pirated content (music, movies, etc) for sale or free download (with ads). SOPA would allow the Justice Department to require US-based ISPs to block the URLs of these rogue sites, effectively erasing them from the internet.

There is a carefully constructed campaign being waged against this proposed legislation. Major players such as Google are lobbying hard. And bloggers left and right are using (or misusing) terms like “net neutrality” as a way to frame the debate to be about FREEDOM OF SPEECH. They’ve been very effective in the campaign, as can be seen on tech related sites such as Cnet.com, where the editors have come down hard against SOPA.

I’d like to offer another way of looking at this issue:

I think that music pirates are thieves. In some way they are like real pirates, like the ones from Somalia for instance, who wander the open seas, out of reach of the law, and hijack ships. In the case of the Somali pirates, we, that is, our governments fight back. We try to take their guns and bring them to justice. And when we take their guns you wouldn’t say that we’ve violated their second amendment rights, would you?

My point is that SOPA is not an issue concerning free speech just as taking guns away from criminals is not a second amendment issue.

Another argument used by those who oppose SOPA is that if the government is given the right to shut down websites it won’t be long before they shut down any sites they find to be offensive. The internet is and always should be free from regulation. That’s what makes it so wonderful.

The logical fallacy here is called the Slippery Slope fallacy – the belief that if we agree to A then it’s necessarily just a matter of time before we agree to Z. Never mind that B through Y is a huge step, consisting of many intermediate steps, any one of which might be rejected as wrong or bad.

I agree that the internet should be free from regulation when it comes to free speech. After all, I’m a musician! I’ve devoted my life to personal expression and celebrate creative freedom every time I pick up my bass. That’s what music is all about.

But theft is not freedom of expression and the net can never really be “neutral” as long as thieves threaten the livelihoods of musicians and large corporate interests like Google stack the deck against artists by supporting the thieves. That is, after all, what they are doing by actively opposing SOPA.

Action-Refraction Makes JazzTimes List of Top 40 CDs of 2011

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:21:27 +0000

Read full article here.

Ben Allison Band graphic T-shirt now available

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:27:29 +0000

Ben Allison Band graphic T-shirt is now available. Super soft 100% cotton T in medium and large sizes. Check it out on the Merch page

Action-Refraction Makes Emusic’s List of Top CDs of 2011

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:47:02 +0000

check out the complete list….

Ben Allison, Anthrax, The Strokes, Drake Make Time Out NY Best of 2011 List

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:56:50 +0000

“Bassist Allison wrote only one of the pieces on his tenth full-length, but his guitar-and-keyboard-driven versions of works by Donny Hathaway, Samuel Barber, PJ Harvey and others felt wholly personal, like an ingeniously curated gallery exhibit.”

Read full article…

Ben’s Carnegie Hall Blog #2 – Walking the Jazz Composer’s Tightrope

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:42:55 +0000

In the second in a series of personal, behind-the-scenes, and rehearsal videos during his debut year at Carnegie Hall, Ben Allison introduces a second key member of the band that will play on February 3—percussionist Rogerio Boccato—and expands on his philosophy of jazz composition and performance.

View video at carnegiehall.org…

Action-Refraction Makes NPR’s List of Top 10 Jazz CDs of 2011

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:19:39 +0000

“The bassist Ben Allison — also known as a great composer — has been gradually merging this personal history into his jazz training. It hits a high-water mark with Action-Refraction, an album of covers . . .”

Ben’s Carnegie Hall Blog – Jazz Is Social Music

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:00:58 +0000

Yesterday on the blog, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire spoke about a community of jazz musicians and wanting jazz musicians “to socialize.” In our ongoing series that showcases his journey and experience of making a Carnegie Hall debut, bassist Ben Allison expands on the concept of jazz as a social music, where fellow musicians are crucial to the composing process.

New show announced in New York, NY at Zinc Bar on January 24, 2012

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.January 24, 2012 - New York, NY - Zinc Bar
Address: 82 W 3rd St. - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New shows announced in New York, NY - New Haven, CT

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:00:02 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.December 11, 2011 - New York, NY - Town Hall
Address: 123 W 43rd St. - Map
Time : 7:30 PM
All Ages

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December 11, 2011 - New York, NY - Cornelia Street Cafe
Address: 29 Cornelia St. - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

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June 27, 2012 - New Haven, CT - New Haven Festival of Arts and Ideas
Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New show announced in New York, NY at Winter Jazz Festival on November 27, 2011

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:05 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.November 27, 2011 - New York, NY - Winter Jazz Festival
Address: Bleecker St - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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Paul Motian – 1931-2011

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:46:21 +0000

Drummer Paul Motian was one of my favorite musicians of all time. I heard him at the Vanguard and Visiones in NYC many times in the mid to late 1980s – the Trio with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell.

One of my most enduring memories is of him hitting his cymbals hard at the end of the last tune of the last set, jumping up from his kit and heading out the door of the club just as the ring of the cymbal died away.

It didn’t feel disrespectful. For me it was just part of the show. He was mysterious. He had an almost child-like way of playing that belied his incredible depth and complexity as a musician.

Here are some of my favorite records of his and with Keith Jarrett’s American quartet of the 19702 (all of which I have on vinyl):

Conception Vessel
The Story of Maryam
Psalm
Tribute
Misterioso

With the Keith Jarrett Quartet:

Mysteries
Treasure Island
Fort Yawuh
Shades
El Juicio
Mourning of a Star
Birth
Expectations
Byablue
Bop-Be

New shows announced in New York, NY

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.January 6, 2012 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge
Address: 158 Bleecker St. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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January 7, 2012 - New York, NY - Cornelia Street Cafe
Address: 29 Cornelia St. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

5 new shows announced!

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.February 15, 2012 - Washington, DC - ATLAS Performing Arts Center
Address: 1333 H St. NE - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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February 25, 2012 - Fresno, CA - Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall
Address: 2770 E. International Avenue - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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March 24, 2012 - Montréal, QC - L'Astral
Address: 305, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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April 13, 2012 - Philadelphia, PA - Painted Bride Art Center
Address: 230 Vine St. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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April 28, 2012 - Queens, NY - Flushing Town Hall
Address: 137-35 Northern Blvd. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

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New shows announced in New York, NY

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:00:02 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.May 3, 2012 - New York, NY - Smalls
Address: 183 W 10th St. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

May 9, 2012 - New York, NY - Kaye Playhouse
Address: East 68th Street between Park & Lexington Avenues - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New Video – Ben Allison Band @ Littlefield, NYC – We’ve Only Just Begun

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:46:04 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/benallisonmusic#p/u/11/t0Wf2SP0rJ4

New Video – Ben Allison Band @ Littlefield, NYC – Broken

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:16:15 +0000

New show announced in New York, NY at Jazz Foundation of America - Jazz Loft Party on October ...

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:00:02 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.October 25, 2011 - New York, NY - Jazz Foundation of America - Jazz Loft Party
Address: 601 west 26th st - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New show announced in Woodstock, NY at Midnight Ramble on December 10, 2011

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 03:00:02 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.December 10, 2011 - Woodstock, NY - Midnight Ramble
Address: 160 Plochmann Lane - Map
Time : 11:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New show announced in New York, NY at Abrons Arts Center on October 16, 2011

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.October 16, 2011 - New York, NY - Abrons Arts Center
Address: 466 Grand Street (at Pitt Street) New York, NY - Map
Time : 2:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

My Thoughts on Music Journalism

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:42:33 +0000

Music writer Willard Jenkins recently polled a number of musicians, asking for their thoughts about music journalism. For the next few weeks he’ll be posting the responses on his blog. My take is featured this week:

www.openskyjazz.com

Artist’s Choice: Ben Allison on Ornette Coleman, JazzTimes Magazine

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:37:06 +0000

I wrote a short piece for JazzTimes Magazine on Ornette Coleman’s music and how it was an early influence in my musical life. You can read it at jazztimes.com

New show announced in Brooklyn, NY at Barbès on October 18, 2011

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:00:05 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.October 18, 2011 - Brooklyn, NY - Barbès
Address: 376 9th St. - Map
Time : 7:30 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New show announced in New York, NY at Jazz Standard on November 16, 2011

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:00:10 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.November 16, 2011 - New York, NY - Jazz Standard
Address: 116 E 27th St., 11th Fl. - Map
Time : 7:30 PM
All Ages

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New show announced in Marlboro, NY at The Falcon on September 17, 2011

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.September 17, 2011 - Marlboro, NY - The Falcon
Address: 197 Old Post Rd - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

“Groove is in the Heart” Premiere Guitar Magazine Article

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:18:25 +0000

Here’s a short lesson I wrote for Premiere Guitar Magazine on groove. It’s geared towards musicians but hopefully could be appreciated by anyone with an interest in how musicians think about rhythm.
Read it here

New show announced in New York, NY at 92nd Street Y, Tribeca on October 14, 2011

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 18:00:04 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.October 14, 2011 - New York, NY - 92nd Street Y, Tribeca
Address: 200 Hudson Street - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New shows announced in New York, NY

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.August 16, 2011 - New York, NY - Zinc Bar
Address: 82 W 3rd St. - Map
Time : 9:30 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

August 18, 2011 - New York, NY - 55 Bar
Address: 55 Christopher St - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Ben To Appear on WNYC to smackdown Spotify – July 19

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:57 +0000

I’ve been invited to appear on WNYC’s Sound Check on July 19 at 2 PM EST (-5 GMT) in an open and spirited conversation with Steve Smith, Music Editor at TIme Out NY. We’ll be talking about the new music industry, the P2P generation and what it means for the future of creative music.

To listen live or stream the archive click here

New shows announced in New York, NY

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.July 21, 2011 - New York, NY - Provincetown Playhouse
Address: 133 MacDougal Street - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

July 30, 2011 - New York, NY - Arts World Financial Center
Address: 200 Vessey St. - Map
Time : 1:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Action-Refraction – Top 25 Albums of 2011 (So Far), NPR Music

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:20:46 +0000

Action-Refraction has been picked by the editors of NPR Music as one of their 25 favorite albums of 2011 (so far), joining great records by Bon Iver, Adele, Jill Scott, and Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal.

Read the feature here

Personal and Unpredictable – Ben on NPR’s All Things Considered

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:11:30 +0000

I had an interesting conversation about the new album, my band, and music in general with Rachel Martin on All Things Considered.

You can stream it here

New show announced in New York, NY at Smalls on September 28, 2011

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:00:35 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.September 28, 2011 - New York, NY - Smalls
Address: 183 W 10th St. - Map
Time : 9:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New shows announced in New York, NY

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.June 15, 2011 - New York, NY - Highline Park, NYC
Address: 10th Ave @ 30th Street - Map
Time : 7:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

June 22, 2011 - New York, NY - Highline Park, NYC
Address: 10th Ave @ 30th Street - Map
Time : 7:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

June 23, 2011 - New York, NY - Kenny's Castaways
Map
Time : 11:50 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New shows announced in Rochester, NY - Saratoga Springs, NY - Macerata

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:00:12 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.June 18, 2011 - Rochester, NY - Montage
Address: Rochester Jazz Festival - Map
Time : 6:30 PM
All Ages

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June 18, 2011 - Rochester, NY - Montage
Address: Rochester Jazz Festival - Map
Time : 10:00 PM
All Ages

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June 25, 2011 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Map
Time : 5:30 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

July 2, 2011 - Macerata, Italy -
Address: Macerata Jazz Festival - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Ben Allison Band to headline at Saratoga Jazz Festival

Mon, 16 May 2011 13:38:39 +0000

Saturday, June 25 – Saratoga Jazz Festival, NY

Get your tickets now for this awesome day of music on the beautiful fields of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

In what’s being billed as the “Ben Allison Triple Play,” Ben will lead his band on the Main Stage, perform in Steve Cardenas’ Trio on the Gazebo stage, and be the subject of a Downbeat Magazine
Live Blindfold Test hosted by acclaimed journalist Dan Ouellette.

Ben Allison – bass
Michael Blake – saxophones
Steve Cardenas – guitar
Brad Shepik – guitar
Rudy Royston – drums

Other bands scheduled to perform include Michael McDonald, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jack Dejohnette Group, Eliane Elias & Lionel Louke.

New show announced in Bari at Bari Jazz Festival on July 1, 2011

Sat, 14 May 2011 18:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.July 1, 2011 - Bari, Italy - Bari Jazz Festival
Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

New show announced in New York, NY at Carnegie Hall on February 3, 2012

Tue, 10 May 2011 23:00:03 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.February 3, 2012 - New York, NY - Carnegie Hall
Address: 881 7th Avenue - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Discussing music with JazzTimes Magazine

Tue, 10 May 2011 14:20:04 +0000

Lee Mergener, editor of JazzTimes magazine called me up the other day to talk about music. I enjoyed the conversation, most of which is available on
jazztimes.com

New shows announced in New York, NY

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:00:02 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.May 3, 2011 - New York, NY - Kush Lounge
Address: 191 Chrystie St - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

May 10, 2011 - New York, NY - Kush Lounge
Address: 191 Chrystie St - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

May 17, 2011 - New York, NY - Kush Lounge
Address: 191 Chrystie St - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

May 24, 2011 - New York, NY - Kush Lounge
Address: 191 Chrystie St - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Video – Ben discusses Action-Refraction at J@LC

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:40:59 +0000

http://bit.ly/efSmTZ

Ben Allison Tuesdays @ Kush resume this week

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:07:10 +0000

On April 19, Ben will be back at Kush along with Shane Endsley (trumpet), Steve Cardenas (guitar), Mark Guiliana (drums).

Kush
191 Chrystie Street (between Stanton and Rivington)
Google map it

See the flyer

New shows announced in Brooklyn, NY - Rochester, NY

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:00:17 +0000

Ben Allison has recently added the following shows.

.May 26, 2011 - Brooklyn, NY - Littlefield
Address: 622 Degraw St. - Map
Time : 8:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

June 18, 2011 - Rochester, NY - Rochester Jazz Festival
Map
Time : 10:00 PM
All Ages

See Full Details

Action-Refraction Debuts at #11 on CMJ Jazz Radio Charts

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:55:00 +0000

A big thank you to the following stations for spinning the new album.

KBUT-Crested Butte CO
KCRW-Los Angeles
KDNK-Carbondale CO
KHNS-Haines AK
KKFI-Kansas City
KPFA-Berkeley
KRFC-Fort Collins-CO
KSDS-San Diego
KSJS-San Jose
KUNM-Albuquerque
KUSP-San Jose
KUVO-Denver
WCLK-Atlanta
WDNA-Miami
WERU-Blue Hills ME
WFWM-Frostburg MD
WGVU-Grand Rapids
WMPG-Portland
WPKN-Bridgeport CT
WPRB-Trenton
WRBC-Lewiston ME
WRTI-Philadelphia
WRUV-Burlington VT
WTJU-Charlottesville VA
WUML-Lowell MA
WWPV-Colchester VT
WWUH-Hartford