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Ben Graves
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Ben Graves is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. Originally from Martin, Tennessee, he was the lead singer in a high school band whose other members (Carl Bell and Jeff Abercrombie) would become the hard rock outfit Fuel. He attended Wesleyan University (B.A., Music, 1993), Berklee College of Music (1991–92, 1993), and Washington State University (M.A., Jazz Studies, 1996) and moved to San Francisco, where he lived from 1996 to 2003, working with Norah Jones sidemen Lee Alexander and Rob Burger, as well as current The Decemberists members Jenny Conlee and Nate Query. In 2003, he moved to Nashville Tennessee, where he worked as a sideman with country artists Rebecca Lynn Howard, James Otto, Amy Dalley, Raul Malo, among many others, and remains active as a session musician, performing songwriter, sideman, and educator.[1]
Graves has performed with Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Kid Rock, Modern Jazz Quartet bassist Percy Heath, Late Show drummer Anton Fig, Flaco Jimenez, Steve Berlin, and many others.[2] He has played venues such as the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, the Fillmore, the Great American Music Hall, the Edmonton Folk Festival, the Highline Ballroom, the Austin City Limits Music Festival, and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He has recorded three original CDs: Crazy Italians (1997), Memphis (2001) and Live (2003).[3] Crazy Italians included the cut "Princess Grace," which was featured on the Performing Songwriter magazine 1999 CD sampler showcasing their picks for the top 12 unsigned independent releases. Critic Russell Hall of Performing Songwriter called Crazy Italians "consistently fresh and inventive," and "intelligent pop music--tightly crafted songs that lend themselves well to improvisation in a live setting."[4][5]
"Memphis" features drummer Scott Amendola, keyboardist Rob Burger (Tin Hat Trio, Norah Jones), and bassist Lee Alexander (Norah Jones, Amos Lee). "Memphis" has been played on over 300 radio stations worldwide, and in the summer of 2002, charted top 30 at some 50 stations, such as WTSR Ewing, NJ (#3), WNYK Nyack, NY (#10), and WUIC Chicago (#14). Rosalie Howarth of San Francisco's KFOG called it "very, very good"; "excellent CD," said KRZA in Colorado; and "a great, great disc," said music director Sean Wilson of WTSR.
References
[edit]- ^ "The Dean Martinis :: About This Artist – ReverbNation". www.reverbnation.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011.
- ^ "Ben Graves | Sambuca | Sambuca Restaurant - Nashville | MUSIC | Nowplayingnashville.com". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
- ^ "Ben Graves Discography". Allmusic. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
- ^ "MP3 Ben Graves – Memphis – Tradebit".
- ^ "Sweetwater presents the GearFest 2010 Song Contest - the Dean Martinis". www.sweetwatersongcontest.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
External links
[edit]Ben Graves
View on GrokipediaEarly life and education
Upbringing in Martin, Tennessee
Ben Graves was born on November 5, 1972, in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, where he was also raised.[4] Growing up in the suburban area near Boston, Graves developed an interest in music early on. He began playing drums at the age of 12, taking lessons to build his skills. By age 18, he was performing regularly with local bands on the club circuits of Boston and New York City.[3] Early bands included Savoir Faire, Boston Brats, Flash Addict, Masquerade, and Terra Ex.[4] He trained under instructor Justin Santos and was influenced by drummers like Tommy Lee and Randy Castillo.[6]Academic background
Graves attended schools in East Bridgewater and graduated from Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in 1991.[4] At the time of his illness, he was pursuing a degree in graphic arts, with the goal of designing album covers and promotional materials for bands.[7]Musical career
Early bands and influences
Graves began playing drums at the age of 12 in the Boston area of Massachusetts, taking early lessons to build foundational skills. By age 18, he was performing regularly with local East Coast bands, including Savoir Faire, Boston Brats, Flash Addict, Masquerade, and Terra Ex, on the club circuits of Boston and New York City.[4][3] There, he developed an aggressive, hard-hitting drumming style emphasizing technical precision and stage presence, influenced by punk and metal scenes.[3] In 2002, Graves relocated to Los Angeles, California, to advance his career in the rock and metal scenes.[3][4]Solo work and recordings
Graves did not release any solo albums or recordings during his career, focusing instead on collaborative work as a drummer in various rock and metal bands. His contributions appear on studio albums with groups such as Murderdolls and Dope.[1]Collaborations and performances
Graves' career featured collaborations with prominent acts in horror punk, industrial metal, and glam metal. In 2002, he joined the supergroup Murderdolls as drummer, alongside Slipknot's Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13, supporting their debut album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (2002) on global tours, including opening slots for Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden across Europe and the US.[3][8][2] From 2005 to 2006, he drummed for the industrial metal band Dope during their nu-metal era, contributing to tours in the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.[5][3] In 2006, he toured Europe with the UK punk band AntiProduct as both support and headliner.[9] He also performed with Scum of the Earth, featuring former Rob Zombie guitarist Riggs.[3] In 2011, Graves joined the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd, remaining until his death in 2018, and participated in additional projects including Synical, Switchblade Kitty, and Nocturne.[4][2] Throughout, he earned recognition for his versatility, reliability, and energetic performances in the heavy music scene.[3]Professional life in academia
Ben Graves, the rock drummer, did not pursue a professional career in academia or hold any teaching positions in music education.Discography
Studio albums
Ben Graves contributed as a drummer to several band albums during his career. With Murderdolls, he performed on their debut studio album Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls, released on August 13, 2002, by Roadrunner Records. The album blended horror punk and glam metal, featuring aggressive drumming that complemented the band's theatrical style. Graves joined the band shortly after moving to Los Angeles in 2002.[10]| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My Darkest Hour | 3:32 |
| 2 | Dead in Hollywood | 2:26 |
| 3 | Love at First Fright | 2:53 |
| 4 | White Wedding, Pt. 1 | 3:31 |
| 5 | Dawn of the Dead | 2:58 |
| 6 | Dr. Lecker's Lament | 0:52 |
| 7 | Bloodlust | 2:19 |
| 8 | The World Won't See Me Naked | 2:33 |
| 9 | 10 Bodies in the Cellar | 2:10 |
| 10 | Welcome to the Weirdshow | 5:10 |
| 11 | I Love to Say Da Da | 3:18 |
| 12 | Chop Shoppe | 3:51 |
| 13 | Look What the Bats Dragged In | 2:24 |
| 14 | Killer Isn't Funny | 3:01 |
| 15 | Joe Friday | 0:22 |
| 16 | The Death of Rock 'n' Roll | 3:28 |
| No. | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Enemies | 3:46 |
| 2 | S.A.T.A. | 3:18 |
| 3 | Feel the Heat | 3:25 |
| 4 | High School Queen | 3:11 |
| 5 | Girls All Over the World | 3:50 |
| 6 | American Dream | 3:35 |
| 7 | We Can't Bring Back Yesterday | 3:42 |
| 8 | We Got the Power | 3:28 |
| 9 | Do Ya Wanna Rock | 3:22 |
| 10 | Look But Don't Touch | 3:15 |
| 11 | I Wanna Be with You (Japan bonus) | 3:20 |