LIVE CD/DVD! [+READ PRESS RELEASE PDF]
Singer / Songwriter / Beatboxer / Looper Ben Hammond takes the stage at the breathtaking Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, Maine, armed only with his acoustic guitar, microphone and loop pedal. This live, 2-Disc CD/DVD ranges from Folk-Jazz to A Cappella Hip-Hop, "consist(ing) of new original material, acoustic versions of songs from his first album, "[Reasonably] Honest," and songs he has gathered during the past few years of world travels, including tunes from Canada and New Zealand" (Conway Daily Sun). The bonus DVD was filmed and directed by award-winning cinematographer Mike Dana ("Requiem for a Dream").
As a relentlessly touring solo musician, appearing on stages from his native New England to New Zealand to points in between, Hammond has had the opportunity to play his unique brand of Acoustic Soul-Pop at a variety of festivals and hundreds of venues (including an appearance as a guest Vocalist/Beatboxer at the Montreal Jazz Festival). Using the technique of "live-looping" (recording material on the fly to create multiple layers of harmony and rhythm) coupled with his vocal percussion, Hammond has evolved his solo show to re-create the sound of a full studio band. Faced with ever growing demand from fans to capture this unique sound and performance on disc, Ben decided to go one step further and release not only an audio CD, but a fully produced live DVD which would help to capture this high-energy experience. The setting for this intimate performance is one of the most beautiful and exclusive new venues in the Northeast, the Stone Mountain Arts Center, which has featured such musical legends as Richie Havens, Bela Fleck, Martin Sexton and Ani DiFranco.
The other aspect of Hammond's live show previously unavailable on CD was the spontaneous and often recklessly exciting remixing of other artists' songs; covers yes, but done in such a unique style and original feel that the resultant songs take on a life all their own. "Solo at Stone Mt. Arts Center" includes a select few of these songs, including a New Zealand Reggae Mashup and a voice-only remix of R&B diva Jill Scott's "A Long Walk".
Hammond will be spending the spring and early summer gigging 7 times a week in Siesta Key, FL, and will return to the road this summer hitting venues and festivals up and down the East Coast, including follow-up appearances on Channel 6 in Maine's NBC program "207". His schedule is posted on his website, and follow-up tours through the Midwest and Canada are in the works.
Album is available NOW at all live shows, via mail order service CDBABY.COM, and as a digital download from ITUNES. More information and select free tracks are available from www.benhammondmusic.com
The CD/DVD is available at all Ben Hammond live shows, check the schedule to see when he'll be touring near you.
You can also have the album mailed anywhere in the world via CDBABY, or you can purchase the mp3s of the audio CD on ITUNES.
You can download a few mp3s from the album for free, click here for a rotating selection.
Check out some Youtube Videos of the DVD.
CD - Disc 1
1) Long Walk (A Cappella Jill Scott Cover) 3:51
2) Worst Kind of Perfect 3:33 FREE DOWNLOAD
3) Can't Dream Without You 4:11
4) The Collector 4:52 FREE DOWNLOAD
5) Doctor Girl 3:55
6) When I'm Supposed To 4:44
7) Another Friend 4:51
8) Wintergreens (instrumental) 3:21
9) Except for You 4:06
10) Just Like Me 4:37
11) Let's Get Alone 4:06
12) Most Beautiful Girl (Flight of the Conchords Cover) 3:56
13) Roady / Garden Grove (Fat Freddy's Drop / Sublime Mashup) 6:31
DVD - Disc 2
1) Worst Kind of Perfect
2) The Collector
3) When I'm Supposed To
4) Except for You
5) Let's Get Alone
6) Fell in Love with a Girl (A Cappella White Stripes Cover)