Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Levin.
Hi Ben, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been playing piano since I was six years old. I initially started with classical lessons and quit briefly before taking lessons again with one of my father’s students. He helped me rediscover my love for the instrument, and I took lessons with him for about a year. After that, I met my lifelong friend and mentor, Ricky Nye. We’ve been meeting for lessons since I was eight years old. We still get together occasionally and go over tunes that are giving me trouble.
I connected with Ricky through my father, Aron, who had been leading his own band, The Heaters, for over ten years at this point. I always loved it when my mother would take my brother and I to go see him play. After a few years of learning from Ricky, I was able to start sitting in with The Heaters. There was a little bar down the street from us called “The Lounge,” and my father was able to get permission from the owner for me to play the first half hour or so of the evening.
I miss those days sometimes! Since it was a bar, My time inside had to be limited, so my father would set up my keyboard and everything in advance, and I would leave, and he would tear it down for me. Of course, these days, I set up and tear down all the gear, and now he’s able to be the last one to arrive and leave!
I slowly became the bandleader thanks to the guidance from my father and Ricky, and have been playing about 100 shows a year since I was 15.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest thing for me in recent years was the pandemic. First, it was really tough when I had to cancel all of my shows and stay at home. Playing music is the greatest thrill of my life, and I could never imagine having to put it on pause for a while. Later in 2020, when things started re-opening, I started to play out again. In November of 2020, my father and I both caught Covid. I was pretty sick for a few days and then began to heal. He became more and more sick, and one night, his oxygen levels were so low that we had to call him an ambulance. After being in the hospital for one day, he was transferred to the ICU and put on a ventilator.
That was extremely tough for my family and me. Once again, I canceled all of my shows and stayed home. After two weeks of turmoil, we had a few miracles. My father made it off of the ventilator and began to heal. He remained in the hospital for another two weeks of recovery, and we were finally able to visit. While he was still lying in bed, he was talking to me about recording songs for our next album. I wasn’t sure at that time whether he would ever be able to play guitar again. Another miracle was my father regaining the strength in his hands and being able to play. When he was ready, we went back into the studio and recorded our fourth album together, titled “Still Here.”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a professional pianist/vocalist based in Cincinnati. I typically play traditional blues, but I also love jazz, soul, and other styles. I’m a Vizztone recording artist and have released four albums with the label, with plans for another later this year. My first album on the label included Bob Corritore, Bob Margolin, and the late great Philip Paul. Last year, I recorded a collaborative album with Lil’ Jimmy Reed, on NOLA Blue Records, which reached #2 on Living Blues Radio Charts.
I have had the opportunity to travel and play shows nationally and internationally. I’m honored to have worked on projects with blues legends such as Lil’ Ed, Bob Stroger, and Lil’ Jimmy Reed. Another mentor, Bob Corritore, has given me the opportunity to work with some of the best blues singers on the scene, such as Willie Buck and Oscar Wilson. I’m proud to be hired as a piano player for great Chicago blues groups The Nick Moss Band, The Cash Box Kings, and Tom Holland and The Shuffle Kings. I’m also proud to have worked with Diunna Greenleaf and Candice Ivory, who are some of the greatest female vocalists in blues. As of writing this, I’m packing and getting ready for a tour of Japan with my friend and great guitarist, Takuto Asano.
The past year has been developing my skill and repertoire on Hammond Organ, which has been new and exciting. I went in a somewhat naive, thinking it would be an easy switch from piano, but there is a learning curve which I’m enjoying navigating.
Any big plans?
I will continue to play music and travel as much as possible! I love playing piano, and I’m enjoying learning more on Organ. I plan to expand my knowledge of blues and, at the same time, develop a larger repertoire of jazz standards. Last year I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in history, and plan to go back to grad school. I have spent many hours interviewing elder musicians and preserving their oral history accounts. I’m working on writing articles based on these interviews and would love to write a book someday. The first scheduled to be published is based on interviews with my friend and mentor, Walter Cash Jr., who has been playing bass since 1959.
Contact Info:
- Website: benlevinpiano.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlevinpiano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenLevinPiano
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPpbcIInINcGncah4r9edvA
Image Credits
Angie Lipscomb
Ed Sawicki
