| Username: | benhammond |
| Name: | Ben Hammond |
| Hometown: | Sarasota, FL |
| Country: | United States |
| Date Joined: | September 18, 2010 1:16 am EST |
| Age: | 41 |
| About Me: | <a href="http://www.benhammondmusic.com">BenHammondMusic.Com</a>
Born in the tiny town of Hiram, Maine and graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in Music Technology, Ben Hammond has since been touring extensively (from his home in rural New England all the way to New Zealand) and playing his unique brand of Acoustic Soul-Pop at a variety of festivals (Montreal Jazz Festival, Portland Old Port Fest) and hundreds of venues (Montreal's Sala Rossa and Metropolis, Town Hall in NYC, Sarasota's Beach Club). In 2008 Ben completed his full length studio album "[Reasonably] Honest" with a full band and Downbeat Magazine award winning mixer Reuben Ghose, which has garnered him radio interviews and airplay across the Eastern United States and Canada. On June 10th, 2008 Ben played to a sold out crowd (200+ people, 17$ tickets, no opener) for his official hometown album launch at the breathtaking Stone Mountain Arts Center in Maine, which has featured such greats as Bela Fleck and the Indigo Girls. In just over one year since it's release, "[Reasonably] Honest" has sold over 1,800 copies and continues to sell while Ben prepares for the next album (a live solo concert which will included a companion DVD). Schooled in jazz, raised on rock, immersed in soul, and fascinated with music the world over, Ben can just as easily be found strumming and singing a ballad as he can live looping an a cappella improvisation of throat singing, beatboxing, and harmonized scatting. When performing his composed material, either as a soloist or with his quartet, the music features Ben's engaging, soulful vocals weaved within a framework of genre-shifting instrumentation, providing a platform for his subtle, contemplative lyrics. |
