BEN GRAVES
Ben Graves
celebrates his upcoming album, 'Settle Down'.
When Ben Graves began putting together the band for his forthcoming new album, Settle Down, he knew what he wanted. Simply put: “lightning in a bottle.”
Called a “Jazz Rocker” by SF Weekly, singer / guitarist Graves called up a couple of old friends who happened to be just that. “I’ve been friends with Matt Rollings and Viktor Krauss for so long they are almost like guys from the neighborhood,” Graves said. “It just so happens they are among the most remarkable musicians on the planet.”
Rollings, of course, is known for his stellar piano work with artists like Willie Nelson and Mark Knopfler, and Krauss has played bass with the likes of Robert Plant and Michael McDonald, to name a few. To anchor the band, Graves enlisted a remarkable drummer, Jano Rix, who plays with the acclaimed Wood Brothers.
“I knew the kind of quality I’d have working with these great players,” Graves said, adding “This is really a dream team. My intention was to make my music heard. I got guys that could stay true to what I’m hearing in my head.”
The end result is undoubtedly pop, with emphasis on melody and lyrics, but percolates with plenty of R&B, Americana and jazz inflection. Graves penned six of the eight tracks, covering the standards “My Ideal” and “God Bless The Child.”
“I’m enamored with jazz, funk, soul, R&B and everything in between,” he says. “Is that Americana?”
Musing Americana as a songwriter, Ben embraces the jazz ethic of keeping the performance loose enough so that almost anything can happen, and nothing sounds stale. Solo, or in the company of other fine musicians, Graves weaves his unique harmony and soulful voice into a truly original tapestry that is at once innovative, informed, and inspired.
Growing up in Martin. Tennessee, Graves had the sweet soul of Memphis and twang of Nashville country 100 miles in either direction. He was a classical guitarist, a jazz saxophonist, and the lead singer in a band that would become the platinum-selling hard rock outfit Fuel.
He has sung and picked guitar and mandolin for Prince Will and Kate, blown harmonica with Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith, jammed on lap steel opening for James Taylor and wailed on saxophone with Raul Malo on the Tonight Show.
Additionally, Graves has recorded or performed with Ricki Lee Jones, Delbert McClinton, Tab Benoit, Steve Berlin, Shelby Lynne, Marcia Ball, Rickie Lee Jones, Delbert McClinton, Tab Benoit, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Jorgenson, Flaco Jimenez, Ed Blackwell, and tons of people you’ve never heard of. His voice-over and instrumental skills have contributed to scores of jingles and original recordings.
Lance Cowan
Listen Now
to Graves' latest single, "Settle Down".
Settle Down ℗ Little Firecracker Music (SESAC)
Never Miss a Beat.
Follow Ben Graves on Social Media
Reviews
What critics are saying about Ben Graves.
"His melodies are consistently fresh and inventive... intelligent pop music."
--Neil Fagan, Performing Songwriter
"With this mix of easy grooves and smooth roots-rock sensibility... Ben Graves delivers incisive observations on the everyday in a honeyed voice."
--Howard Myint, SF Bay Guardian
"...exuberant pop, ... tightly crafted songs that (lend) themselves well to improvisation in a live setting."
--Russell Hall, Performing Songwriter
"Graves seems to be on the slow and steady road to success... sharing the stage with notables and winning the prizes that are stepping stones to the kind of recognition he deserves. (His songs)...conjure up the feel of a long walk with a comfortable lover; the scenery changes, but the feeling is the same."
--Katherine Brown, SFWeekly
“Sounds great, Ben!”
--Lyle Lovett
