Song Builder Ben Hammond with Steel Pan Artist John Patti at GPAC, May 8
[Sarasota, FL: April 6, 2015] Song Builder Ben Hammond tours the world annually playing his unique brand of Acoustic Soul-Pop. What’s a Song Builder? Yes, Ben is an award-winning composer, recording artist, and sought after performer, but to truly understand his approach to building, collaborating, and layering his music, you’ll need to hear him in this live concert-venue performance at Glenridge Performing Arts Center.
Ben Hammond, and his collaborating partner steel pan artist John Patti, will be presenting one show only at 8:00 pm on Friday, May 8, 2015 at the Glenridge Performing Arts Center (7333 Scotland Way, Sarasota). Tickets are $15 per person and on sale now online at www.GPACTix.com, or by calling the GPAC Box Office at 941-552-5325.
SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE TICKET “…funky acoustic guitar-looping, beat-boxing, soul-singing Sarasota powerhouse Ben Hammond…”
PORTLAND PRESS HERALD:
“… Hammond is a versatile musician who writes memorable originals, delivers when he decides to cover someone, and uses his guitar, voice and gadgets to create a sound that you want to keep hearing…”
About Ben Hammond, benhammondmusic.com
Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Vocal Percussion and Live-Looping
Born in the tiny town of Hiram, Maine and graduated with a degree in Music Technology from McGill University in Montreal, Ben Hammond has since been relentlessly touring, from New England to New Zealand and to points in between. He has performed his unique brand of live-looped Acoustic Soul-Pop at a variety of festivals and hundreds of venues (including an appearance as a guest Vocalist/Vocal Percussionist at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and the recording of 4 albums including his live CD/DVD “Solo at Stone Mt Arts Center” directed by award-winning cinematographer Mike Dana.
Though far from settled down, the past few years have seen sunny Sarasota, FL as Ben’s seasonal home-away-from-tour. In addition to selling over 10,000 albums of his own compositions including his 2008 debut “[Reasonably] Honest” produced by Downbeat Magazine award winner Reuben Ghose which has garnered radio play across the East Coast and multiple awards including a John Lennon Songwriting Award) he has quickly become a fixture in the great Sarasota scene, voted “Best of the Suncoast 2010” in Sarasota’s Creative Loafing for his energetic performances. This season has also seen the premiere of a new CD titled “Friction” and the release of music video “Hipster Juliet.”
Schooled in jazz, raised on rock, fascinated with music the world over, Ben Hammond can just as easily be found strumming a soulful original tune as he can live-looping an a cappella improvisation of beatboxing and 4-part harmony, recklessly remixing some of the best music of the past century.
About John Patti www.JohnPatti.com
From Singapore to Key West, Manhattan to the Caribbean, crowds of all ages and nationalities have seen John Patti bring the steel pans to life with a refreshing twist on popular hit songs, melodies and styles. His ability to blend Latin percussion and steel drums into various genres creates an exhilarating performance.
His first solo album “Above the Fold”, which was released in 2006 as his first take on island jazz. John’s latest releases “Cabana Breeze” (2010) and A Calyp-Soul Christmas (2012) are classic examples of his “Island infused jazz and blues” sound. Many songs from both albums can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio’s “Radio Margaritaville”.
Over the years, John’s popularity has grown across the nation for his unique take on the steel pan. John’s expressively smooth sound elevates the steel pan from its perceived impression as just an island instrument to one of versatility across many musical genres. Rock, jazz, blues, country, funk and even classical are all rejuvenated when John combines them with the tropical sound.
