Ben Stack

Biography

Ben Stack has recorded and toured internationally both as a solo artist/songwriter and session guitarist varying in style from Jazz to folk - and almost everything in between. As a result of these widely differing musical experiences, he explores, and often fuses, different aspects of funk, jazz, folk, blues and rock. Switching between acoustic and electric guitars, on which he often uses a variety of stomp boxes and other effects, it is a singular experience to hear the sounds he can produce from an acoustic guitar. He uses about a dozen different tunings and incorporates an highly personal picking style which almost sounds like percussion adding a unique flavor to his sound. The first thing that strikes you when you see Ben live is the sheer energy and personality the man exudes. It’s like being taken on a journey that can be anywhere from soothing, to dark, often highly emotional, to down right funky. You never really know what to expect. I’v heard him several times play the same song but one night it’s pure jazz and the next it’s funk …or folk … or an improvisation of where the mood takes him. Even though the scope of his improvisations can take you in many different directions, it’s almost impossible not to follow him where ever he takes you. It really amazing to watch people who normally would never listen to jazz or folk become entranced by the hypnotic energy Mr. Stack puts out. The second thing is the way he involves you in an interplay between raw emotion and controlled delivery. Following him as he communicates through his guitar and voice you feel that he’s talking to you personally. The list of luminaries he has work with, played with and collaborated with range from John Martyn to Ray Brown.