Ben Powling sax, Will Powell guitar, Steve Crocker bass, Dom Moore drums
free (payf collection)
Since graduating Leeds College of Music in 2013, saxophonist Ben Powling has been performing extensively as a sideman and leader across the UK, Europe and Asia honing a style based in a love of 60s jazz, West African musical styles and punk.
Ben is co-leader and principal composer of Mansion of Snakes, a 12-piece group inspired by Fela Kuti, Sun Ra and Funkadelic. As a member of Sam Quintana’s jazz quintet Wandering Monster, Ben has performed at Manchester Jazz Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival, Lancaster Jazz Festival, Ribble Valley Jazz Festival and Marsden Jazz Festival. The group was also winner of the Jazz North Presents scheme in 2017.
Ben was recently invited to join award-winning jazz-punks WorldService Project, beginning with a 12 date UK tour to promote their new album Serve. Later in 2019 the band performed at Berlin Jazz Festival, Cork Jazz Festival and Galway Jazz Festival as well as making a three week tour across India and China.
In 2018 Ben joined a new group lead by esteemed Anglo-Canadian composer John Warren and is currently writing and recording with his new project Vipertime, co-led with guitarist Matias Reed. Vipertime draws heavily from 70s Ethiopian jazz as well as psychedelia and post-punk. Their debut EP has received plays on BBC Radio 3 (Jazz Now) and BBC Introducing. Vipertime recorded their dubut album in October 2018.
As well as performing, Ben has made a committed effort to building and nurturing the Leeds jazz scene. In 2013 Ben set up The LS6 Jam Session, a weekly gig and jam in Leeds’ Hyde Park, and ran the night for 5 years before passing it on. The night is the longest running jazz jam session in Leeds and has become a cornerstone of the scene, hosting both local and touring . October 2018 saw the release of To Be Here Now, a compilation of Leeds jazz curated by Ben and venue owner Jack Simpson, created through a desire to capture some of the amazing music being created in the city. The LP was featured by Gilles Peterson on his BBC 6 Music UK Jazz special.
“Ben has a mature, assured sound and leads his band through complex, interesting charts with ease. His compositional skills and technical prowess make him, and the band, one to watch this year.” – HEART, Leeds.
‘A name to watch out for; part Neset, part Coltrane, Brecker, and Dexter Gordon!’ – Sheffield Jazz
‘Stunning tenor playing’ – Bebop Spoken Here
