Cited by as one of the "25 rising jazz stars for the future" and Called “one of today’s best young jazz musicians” by the Boston Globe, Ben has released nine CDs of original music — Think Free (2009), Little Things Run the World (2008), Cowboy Justice (2006), Buzz (2004), Peace Pipe (2002), Riding the Nuclear Tiger (2001), Third Eye (1999), and Medicine Wheel (1998) on Palmetto Records,and his 1996 debut Seven Arrows on the Koch Jazz label — all of which showcase Ben's forward-thinking vision as a producer, composer, arranger, and bassist, and his hands-on approach to his craft.
Cited in the “Bassist” category of the 2005-2009 Downbeat Readers’ Poll, Ben’s work has not gone unnoticed by the press. Ben’s most recent album Think Free, reached #1 on the CMJ National Jazz radio charts and has remained in the top 20 for over three months. His previous five albums, achieved similar radio success, being among the most played albums of the years in which they were released, garnering him 6 SESAC National Performance Awards, and have been named as among the best of the year by publications such as Billboard, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Village Voice, Jazz Times, Jazz Journalists Association,Downbeat Critics Poll, All About Jazz, Coda (Canada), and Jazz Review (UK), among many others..
At the age of twenty-five, Ben formed the Jazz Composers Collective — a musician-run, non-profit organization based in New York City that is dedicated to constructing an environment where artists can exercise their ideals of creating and risking through the development and exploration of new music.
With his groups Peace Pipe, Medicine Wheel, the Kush Trio, and the Herbie Nichols Project (which he co-leads with pianist Frank Kimbrough), Mans Size Safe, Ben Alllison Band, he has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, and Europe, winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected. Allison’s many recordings featuring his original music showcase his forward-thinking vision as a producer, composer, arranger, and bassist, and his hands-on approach to his craft.
He’s performing also as trio with Michael Blake and Hamid Drake. He’s one of the teacher of the International MAsterclass in Siena, the New School University, the Weill Music Center (Carnegie Hall Education Department).
Ben Allison is a "visionary composer, adventurous improviser, and strong organizational force on the New York City jazz scene, [and] has emerged as a rising star over the past decade"
JazzTimes
“Hands down, this bassist/ composer's newest is the primo jazz release of 2008 so far and promises to stand tall as one of the year's best. Ben Allison's music has all the earmarks of jazz in motion to a higher evolutionary plateau”.
Three extraordinary instrumentalists, composers, band leaders for the first time on the European scene after the Stone in NY. It is difficult to imagine to what extent the art of these three masters of jazz can be pushed. American tradition.
Music is an alchemy of fortunate encounters, like this one, rare and preciuous,in which the esperanto of the music allows enchanting promiscuities: new sounds, downtown, drum’n’bass, avant-jazz, the fascination and suggestion of the best Afro-American tradition.
