Susan Muscarella (Founder/Director of the Jazzschool in Berkeley, CA) has called Ben Stolorow's first album, I'll Be Over Here (2008), a “beautiful, introspective body of work reminiscent of some of the greatest piano trios." Ben's latest album, Almost There (2011), brings the sensitivity and lyricism of the first album as well a new fire and emotional intensity, reflecting his search to find freedom, release, and renewal through music. Joining Ben on this album are two beautiful Bay Area musicians, Dan Feiszli on bass and Jon Arkin on drums.
As the title suggests, this album takes the listener on a journey, and the feeling of being on the way to someplace unknown is a theme that drives the music throughout. Of the album's ten tracks, seven are Ben's original compositions. The remaining three tracks are renditions of Thelonious Monk's “Hackensack," the standard “You and the Night and the Music," and a “bonus track" which is a vocal song entitled “Firefly," written and performed by Ben's sister Stephanie Stolorow with Ben accompanying.
Ben has spent many years studying classical piano and the great jazz pianists and composers, as is evidenced by his own compositions and playing on this latest album. His first significant musical influence (other than Bach) was Bill Evans. More recently he has been influenced strongly by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and McCoy Tyner. Contemporary influences include David Hazeltine and Fred Hersch, two greats with whom he has recently been able to study. Ben still practices Bach and other classical music, and continues devote himself to the study of the great jazz pianists and composers. The feeling of being always “almost there" continues to drive him to improve himself and search for his own voice in music.
An active member of the Bay Area jazz scene for over 10 years, Ben has performed at numerous local venues including Yoshi's and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, at the Healdsburg and SF Jazz Festivals, at Oakland's Art and Soul Festival, and has also toured and performed in Japan and other parts of Asia. He has performed with many great musicians including Craig Handy, Akira Tana, Lorca Hart, Andrew Speight, Vince Lateano, Michael O'neill, and vocalist Kenny Washington. He also collaborates with his sister Stephanie who is a vocalist and songwriter living in San Francisco, and performs with her under the band name, “Stoli Rose."
As the title suggests, this album takes the listener on a journey, and the feeling of being on the way to someplace unknown is a theme that drives the music throughout. Of the album's ten tracks, seven are Ben's original compositions. The remaining three tracks are renditions of Thelonious Monk's “Hackensack," the standard “You and the Night and the Music," and a “bonus track" which is a vocal song entitled “Firefly," written and performed by Ben's sister Stephanie Stolorow with Ben accompanying.
Ben has spent many years studying classical piano and the great jazz pianists and composers, as is evidenced by his own compositions and playing on this latest album. His first significant musical influence (other than Bach) was Bill Evans. More recently he has been influenced strongly by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and McCoy Tyner. Contemporary influences include David Hazeltine and Fred Hersch, two greats with whom he has recently been able to study. Ben still practices Bach and other classical music, and continues devote himself to the study of the great jazz pianists and composers. The feeling of being always “almost there" continues to drive him to improve himself and search for his own voice in music.
An active member of the Bay Area jazz scene for over 10 years, Ben has performed at numerous local venues including Yoshi's and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, at the Healdsburg and SF Jazz Festivals, at Oakland's Art and Soul Festival, and has also toured and performed in Japan and other parts of Asia. He has performed with many great musicians including Craig Handy, Akira Tana, Lorca Hart, Andrew Speight, Vince Lateano, Michael O'neill, and vocalist Kenny Washington. He also collaborates with his sister Stephanie who is a vocalist and songwriter living in San Francisco, and performs with her under the band name, “Stoli Rose."
