Ben Hammond

Born in the tiny town of Hiram, Maine and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Music Technology from McGill University in Montreal, Ben Hammond has been touring and playing festivals (including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Portland Old Port Fest) and venues (Montreal's Sala Rossa and Metropolis, Town Hall in New York City, many more). Recent appearances and activities have ranged from tours of his home in rural New England to across the world in New Zealand, composing original songs, and most recently completing his full length studio album "[Reasonably] Honest" with full band and Downbeat Magazine award winning mixer Reuben Ghose. On June 10th, Ben and his band played to a sold out crowd (200+ people) at the breathtaking Stone Mountain Arts Center for his hometown CD release. This already-famous venue has hosted Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Leo Kotke and the Indigo Girls, to name a few.
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 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 which provides a platform for contemplative, understated lyrics.