Ben Sidran (né à Chicago le 14 août 1943 ) est un musicien de jazz américain (pianiste, organiste, chanteur), compositeur, musicologue, journaliste, producteur de radio et de télévision. Il est essentiellement connu pour sa participation au Steve Miller Band .
Sa carrière de musicien débute à l'université du Wisconsin à Madison en 1962, où il devient membre du groupe rock The Ardells , avec Steve Miller et Boz Scaggs . Mais ces derniers, poussés par le succès, quittent le Wisconsin pour la côte ouest en 1965.
Ben Sidran reste à l’université jusqu’en 1966, date de l’obtention de son diplôme en littérature anglaise. Il part ensuite en Angleterre à l'université du Sussex où il obtient un doctorat. Sa thèse , intitulée Une histoire culturelle de la musique noire en Amérique (A Cultural History of Black Music in America ) a été publiée en 1972 sous le titre Black Talk et est devenue un ouvrage de référence dans l’histoire du jazz .
C’est pendant ses études en Angleterre qu’il retrouve Steve Miller pour l’enregistrement de l’album Children of the Future du Steve Miller Band (1968), et de l'album Brave New World pour lequel il compose Space Cowboy . Il participe ensuite à d’autres productions comme musicien de concert, avec les Rolling Stones , Peter Frampton , Eric Clapton , Charlie Watts , avant de revenir aux États-Unis en 1970.
Après un bref séjour à Los Angeles comme musicien de studio et producteur de disques, où il fait équipe avec Boz Scaggs et le batteur Jim Keltner , Ben Sidran retourne à Madison en 1971, ville universitaire qui est encore aujourd’hui son lieu de résidence. Il se tourne alors vers le jazz aux côtés de musiciens comme le batteur Clyde Stubblefield .
Les années suivantes, tout en continuant à voyager, à jouer et à produire, il donne à l’université du Wisconsin-Madison des cours sur l'esthétique sociale de la production musicale . À partir de 1975, il produit et anime pour la chaîne National Public Radio (NPR) une série d’émissions sur le jazz (Jazz Alive! ) et, dans les années 1980 , une série de reportages sur le jazz (New Visions ) pour la chaîne de télévision câblée NV1.
Il enregistre plus de 30 albums dont Bop City avec Eddie Gomez et Peter Erskine , Have You Met Barcelona ? avec Johnny Griffin , Jimmy Woode et Ben Riley . Il joue avec Gil Evans , Dizzy Gillespie , Bobby McFerrin et Manhattan Transfer au Carnegie Hall , avec les Brecker Brothers au Montreux Jazz Festival et au Newport Jazz Festival .
Il a travaillé avec Mose Allison , Van Morrison , Diana Ross , Rickie Lee Jones , Booker T. Jones , Phil Woods , Sarah Vaughan , Herbie Hancock , Wynton Marsalis et Annie Ross . Il a également été actif en tant que producteur de musique avec la création de son label Go Jazz (1990), avec des artistes comme Tony Williams , Richie Cole , Jon Hendricks ou Georgie Fame .Son quartet habituel est formé de Bob Rockwell (ts), Billy Peterson (b), et Leo Sidran (d).
Ben Sidran chante au piano avec un style très personnel et reconnaissable, un mélange de voix chantée et parlée, une sorte de jazz-rap groove et bebop , qui laisse aux textes une place prépondérante : il fait de ses chansons des commentaires érudits (sur l’histoire du jazz : Piano Players ; sur la vie de Garcia Lorca : Concert for Garcia Lorca ), souvent humoristiques, toujours engagés. Il continue à donner des conférences dans les universités, plus récemment sur des sujets ayant trait aux Juifs, à la musique, au rêve américain. Son album Dylan Different reprend des thèmes de chansons de Bob Dylan , où il joue avec le bassiste Billy Peterson , qui a enregistré lui-même avec Bob Dylan[ 1] .
Ben Sidran est membre de l'American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers . Le batteur et guitariste Leo Sidran est son fils.
Peabody Award en 1982 pour sa série radiophonique « Jazz Alive! » sur NPR en 1982.
Lauréat de l'International Radio Festival en 1986 pour l’émission « Sidran on record » .
ACE Award pour sa série « New Visions » sur la chaîne câblée VH1 , en 1989.
Sundance Audience Award et New-York Film Critics Award pour la bande originale du film « Hoop Dreams » en 1994.
Ben Sidran est nommé Compagnon de l'Académie des sciences, arts et lettres du Wisconsin en 1996, et reçoit le Distinguished Alumnus Award , le prix des anciens élèves de l'université du Wisconsin à Madison .
Prix du festival du film d’Aspen , Emmy Award , et Directors Guild of America Award , pour la bande originale du documentaire « Vietnam Long Time Coming » en 1998.
Nomination aux Grammy Awards pour son disque « Concert for Garcia Lorca » en 2000.
Parent’s Choice Award pour son disque « El Elefante » en 2003.
Compositeur de la musique du documentaire « With All Deliberate Speed » , récompensé par un Emmy Award en 2004.
(en) Black Talk (Holt, 1971),
(en) Black Talk (Da Capo Press, 1981) : réédition avec préface de Archie Shepp ,
(fr) Talking Jazz, Conversations au cœur du jazz (traduction française, Night & Day Library, 2005) : transcription de 40 interviews de musiciens de jazz de son émission Sidran on Record (Sonny Rollins , Miles Davis , Art Blakey , Dizzy Gillespie ),
(en) A Life in The Music (autobiographie) (Taylor Trade, 2003),
(en) There Was A Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream , essai sur l'influence juive dans la musique américaine (Nardis Books, 2012),
Ben Sidran a écrit pour les magazines Rolling Stone , Esquire , Jazz Magazine (France), et Swing Journal (Japon).
The Week-End Starts Now , 1973-1974, WMTV,
Sing me a Jazz Song et Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop Reunion 1975-1976, WTTW
Soundstage , 1975-1976, WMTV,
Jazz Alive! , 1981-1983, NPR,
All Things Considered , 1983-1985, NPR,
Sidran on Record , 1985-1990, NPR,
Higher Goals", 1993, PBS
Jazz Profiles , 1996-1999, NPR,
New Visions , 1988-1991, VH1 Cable Network.
Leo's My Name
Poor Girl
Racine Bovine
About Love
Feel Your Groove
That Fine Day
Alexander's Rag Time Brand
Try Listen
My Wife
The Blues in England
Spread Your Wings
1. Chances Are 3:21 2. Lust 3:40 3. It Don't Pay To Worry Like That 3:28 4. Eliyahu 3:03 5. When A Woman Say She Ready 8:04 6. I Lead A Life 2:37 7. Devil Comes To Las Vegas 5:40 8. Talking About Money 3:33 9. Slippery Hip 3:42 10. Back Down On State Street 6:24
Full Compass
Play the Piano
Have You Heard the News
Face Your Fears
Think Twice
Walking with the Blues
Now I Live (And Now My Life Is Done)
Puttin' in Time on Planet Earth
Fat Jam (Instrumental)
House of Blue Lites
Ben Sidran's Midnite Tango
The Chicken Glide (Instrumental)
She's Funny That Way (I Got a Woman, Crazy for Me)
Monopoly (Instrumental)
Don't Let Go (Instrumental)
Hey Hey Baby
The Foolkiller
The Funky Elephant (Instrumental)
Snatch (Instrumental)
Down to the Bone
1. Feel Your Groove 3:04 2. After Midnight 3:32 3. Sunday Kind Of Love 4:31 4. Let's Make A Deal 3:28 5. Beg For It (The Real Thing) 3:38 6. New York State Of Mind 4:40 7. You Talk Too Much 3:15 8. The Cuban Connection 4:30 9. Free In America 4:05
Get It Yourself
Song for a Sucker Like You
Broad Daylight
One Way Grave
See You on the Other Side
Set Yourself Free
Silver's Serenade
Nobody's Fool
Charlie's Blues
Good Bye Pork Pie Hat
Be Nice
Kiss in the Night
You Got the Power
Moose the Mooche
The Cadillac Kid
That's Life I Guess
Doing You
Tell Old Bill
Mr. Bill Goes to Brazil
Face Your Fears
Eat It
Song For A Sucker Like You
I Remember Clifford
Someday My Prince Will Come
Midnight Tango / Walking With The Blues
Come Together
Hi-Fly
Ask Me Now
Like Sony
Give It to the Kids
Minority
Blue Daniel
Ballin' the Jack
Girl Talk
Seven Steps to Heaven
1. Get To The Point (Sidran) 1:52 2. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (Gershwin) 3:08 3. Willow Weep For Me (Ronnell) 3:38 4. Only Game In Town (Sidran) 1:23 5. Choice In The Matter (Sidran) 3:15 6. Where The Good Ones Go (Sidran) 2:54 7. Bouncing With Bud (Powell / Fuller) 1:49 8. Since I Fell For You (Johnson) 4:19 9. Mitsubishi Boy (Sidran) 3:56 10. Lonnie's Lament (Coltrane) 2:54 11. Blues In The Morning (Sidran / McDonald) 3:12 12. Lately (Hougan / Sidran) 3:33
Let's Get Away From It All
Easy Street
Old Folks
Turn To The Music
Steady Eddie
Making Whoopie
Piano Players
Dark Night
Nostalgia In Times Square
Solar
Big Nick
It Didn't All Come True
City Home
Bop City/Theme From 'Jazz Alive!'
Little Sherry
Nardis
Up Jumped Spring
Monk's Mood
1. Big Nick 11:00 2. Killer Joe 6:14 3. Piano Players 4:18 4. On the Trails 6:11 5. Old Folks 6:37 6. One for the Woofer 6:43 7. So Way 7:06 8. Someday My Prince Will Come 5:01 9. Billy's Bounce 2:16
Mitsubishi Boy
Lover Man, Part 1
Lover Man, Part 2
Brown Eyes
On the Cool Side
Old Hoagy
Heat Wave
Take It Easy Greasy
Lazy River
That's What the Note Said
Lost in the Stars
Good Foot
Can't We Talk It Over
Girl Talk
Lullaby In Rhythm
Get To The Point
Have You Heard The News
Old Folks
Have You Met Miss Jones
Little Sherry
New York State Of Mind
Try
Straight No Chaser
My Wife
Lately
Doctor's Blues
Broad Daylight
Piano Players
Turn to the Music
A Good Travel Agent
There They Go
Lover Man
Mitsubishi Boy
On the Cool Side
Space Cowboy
Last Dance
Shine A Light On Me
Enivre D'Amour
Everything Happens To Me
Freedom Jazz Dance
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Critics
Pepper
Too Hot To Touch
Longing For Bahia
I Wanna Be A Bebopper
Cool Paradise
Lip Service
If Someone Has to Wreck Your Life
She Steps into a Dream
Try
Language of the Blues
Desire of Love
Bye Bye Blackbird
So Long
Walking with the Blues
Searching for a Girl Like You
1. Eliyahu 6:01 2. Oseh Shalom 3:50 3. Life's A Lesson 3:41 4. Ani Ma'amin 3:59 5. Avinu Malchenu 3:53 6. Tree of Life 3:42 7. B'Rosh Hashana 3:50 8. Eli Eli 4:30 9. Shofar Shogood 2:32 10. Y'Did Nefesh 4:28 11. Kol Nidre 4:46 12. Hashivenu 3:45 13. Hatikva 2:46 14. Face Your Fears 1:41 15. Hine Ma Tov 6:51
Hoop Dreams
Traveling Music
The Original Lesson
The Float
The Tide (Keeps Lifting Me)
Above the Rim
Low Post
Fast Break
Under the Knife
Junior Moved
Walking the Walk
Face Listen
Sweet Dreams
I'm Back
Like a Boat on the Water
Sentimental Journey
Get Happy
Jive Samba
I'm Not Talking
The Glory of Love
Mr. P's Shuffle
Walk Right In
Lover Man
No Moon at All
Memory Lane
1. Shut Out The Light (Springsteen) 3:45 2. String Of Pearls (Pirner) 4:55 3. Ricochet In Time (Colvin) 3:08 4. Learn To Fly (Brown/Fiocca) 4:30 5. I Hear A Call (Arata) 2:50 6. Bamboo (Sidran) 5:01 7. Going Home (Sidran) 4:49 8. Different Drummer (Sidran) 4:48 9. 43 Miles (Sidran) 5:21 10. Swami Daddy-O (Sidran) 2:51 11. Last Run (Sidran) 3:08
Lip Service
Mood Swing
It Should Have Been Me
Yeah, Yeah
Let's Make A Deal
Good Bye
The Language Of The Blues
Too Hot To Touch
Georgia
I Love The Life I Live
Sentimental Journey
Turn to the Music
Chat
I Wanna Be a Bebopper
House of Blue Lights
Look Here
Avinu Malchenu
Chat
Gegè's Mouth Drums
Gegè's Groove
Old Folks
Blues for the Celebrity Lounge
My Bebop Tune (Take 1)
My Bebop Tune (Take 2)
My Bebop Tune (Take 3)
Conversation With Michel, Pt. 1
For All Time's Sake
Contradictions
Theme for Ernie
You Must Believe in Spring
Conversation With Michel, Pt. 2
My Bebop Tune (Take 4)
On Defeating Death (Sidran)
It Ain't Necessarily So (Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward/Heyward)
On Duende (Sidran/Lorca)
On Cante Jondo and the Blues (Sidran/Lorca)
Whisper Not (Golson)
Lover Man (Davis/Ramierez/Sherman)
Look Here (Allison)
Poet in New York (Sidran/Lorca)
Freedom Jazz Dance (Harris)
For Margarita Xirgu (Sidran/Lorca)
That's My Girl
Walk Pretty
Rain Rain
Lady Sings The Blues
The Winter Of My Discontent
South To A Warmer Place
While We're Young
Lovers And Losers
If Someday Ever Happens Again
I Like It Here
A Long Night
Moon And Sand
Let's Go to Goosy Galpa
Take It Easy Greasy (You've Got a Long Way to Slide)
I Wanna Grow Up and Be Like a Tree
Popcorn's Got a Brand New Bag
The Yellow Bird
Pushing and Shoving
El Elefante
The Tickle Monster
Fantastic Bubble
Duermete
1. Piano Players 2:20 2. Little Sherry 3:14 3. On the Cool Side 5:51 4. A Good Travel Agent 13:04 5. Everything Happens to Me 4:10 6. Walking With the Blues 6:08 7. Too Hot to Touch 3:52 8. Life's a Lesson 3:38 9. Turn to the Music 4:50 10. I'm Back 5:30 11. Si Me Voy 8:28 12. Walk Pretty 5:36 13. Interview With Ben 11:53 14. Piano Players 3:50
1. Little Sherry 6:08 2. Listen to That Fool Talk 10:00 3. What Sonny Said 7:36 4. You Can't Judge A Book 3:30 5. A Great Rhythm Section 3:20 6. Zambia 7:00 7. Put Your Foot on the Rock 12:05 8. Nothing Like the Sound of Bebop 8:15
Little Sherry
Cryin' Blues
Black Jack
Blue Panther
The Cats
Zambia
Mean Greens
Listen Here
Blue Minor
Nick's Bump
Like a Boat on the Water
Solar
Little Sherry
It Didn't All come True
Walk Pretty
Blue Minor
Zambia
Walk Right In
She Steps Into a Dream
Turn to the Music
Steady Eddy
Enivré d'amour
Blue Panther
No Moon at All
Sentimental Journey
Lady Sings the Blues
Get Happy
Dark Night
The Winter of my Discontent
Bye Bye Blackbird
Everything Happens to Me
So Long
I Wanna Be a Bebopper
Language of the Blues
Minority
If You Live
Lover Man
I Don't Worry About A Thing
Language of the Blues
I Like it Here
Everybody's Boppin'
Huerto
Turn to the Music
Piano Players
Steady Eddie
Little Sherry
Solar
It Didn't All Come True
Bob City Theme from "Jazz Alive!"
On The Cool Side
Mitsubishi Boy
Lover Man (Part 1)
Lover Man (Part 2)
Good Travel Agent
Last Dance
Everything Happens to Me
Too Hot To Touch
Critics
I Wanna Be a Bebopper
Cool Paradise
Lip Service
So Long
Life's a Lesson
Face Your Fears
I'm Back
I'm Not Talking
Walk Pretty
If Someday Ever Happens Again
Blue Panther
Zambia
Welcome To The Central
Gotta Serve Somebody
Take Me To The River
Drinkin' N Thinkin'
A Room In The Desert
Straight, No Chaser
Something For You To Do
See That Rock
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Folio
Cave Dancing
1. Walk Pretty 5:39 2. Solar 3:04 3. Making Whoopie 3:06 4. Mr P's Shuffle 4:35 5. Big Nick 2:34 6. Get Happy 4:55 7. Nardis 3:35 8. The Winter of My Discontent 4:43 9. Sentimental Journey 5:27 10. I Wanna Be a Bebopper 3:46 11. Nostalgia in Times Square 3:49 12. Look Here 5:03 13. It Should Have Been Me 3:28 14. Straight No Closer 5:23 15. I'm Back 5:15 16. Jive Samba 5:15 17. Steady Eddie 4:42 18. Turn to the Music 4:54 19. Mother Tongue 3:39 20. Black Jack 7:12 21. You Said 4:43 22. Cryin' Blues 4:33 23. Listen Here 5:49 24. The Difference 5:08 25. Relaxin at Camarillo 3:39 26. Mumbles 4:05
1. Intro / Gotta Serve Somebody 6:25 2. Rainy Day Woman 4:45 3. Blowin' In the Wind 5:19 4. Subterranean Homesick Blues 5:29 5. All I Really Want to Do 4:56 6. Tangled Up 4:09 7. Everything Is Broken 3:20 8. Maggies Farm 9:54 9. Love Minus Zero 5:15 10. The Times They Are Changing 3:16 11. On the Road Again 4:15 12. We Are Here for a Minute 4:18
1. Back Nine 4:31 2. Brand New Music 3:26 3. Don't Cry for No Hipster 4:57 4. At Least We Got to The Race 3:02 5. Can We Talk 5:29 6. In The Beginning 2:32 7. I Don't Get No Better 3:39 8. Dying Anyway 4:15 9. Private Guy 4:01 10. Reflections 4:23 11. Take a Little Hit 2:57 12. Sixteen Tons 3:35 13. Rich Interior Life 2:45 14. Hooglin' 4:42
1. Soso's Dream 6:58 2. Blue Camus 4:45 3. "A" Is For Alligator 3:13 4. The King of Harlem 4:57 5. Rocky's Romance 6:20 6. Wake Me When It's Over 4:32 7. There Used To Be Bees 7:23 8. Dees Dilemma 6:58
1. College 03:00 2. Discount Records 03:34 3. Picture Him Happy 04:58 4. I Might Be Wrong 04:01 5. Too Much Too Late (What Mose Said) 04:44 6. Shaboogie 03:25 7. Faking It 02:49 8. Thank God For The F Train 02:58 9. Another Old Bull 04:44 10. Big Brother 03:54 11. Who Are You 03:58 12. Was 03:17
1. Birk’s Works [Minneapolis, KTCZ Radio Broadcast September 19, 1975] 03:16 2. The Groove Is Gonna Get You [Sunset, Paris November 11, 2015] 10:39 3. The Funkasaurus [Tokyo, Cotton Club May 21, 2009] 08:41 4. That’s Life I Guess [Milan, Blue NoteDecember 1, 2003] 04:11 5. You Can’t Judge a Book [Milan, Blue NoteDecember 1, 2003] 04:32 6. The House of Blue Lights [Madison, Jazz @ Five July 29, 2001] 08:12 7. Dying Anyway [Paris, Sunside November 7, 2000] 05:20 8. On the Road Again [Paris, Sunset May 11, 2007] 05:28 9. Revenge of the Funky Duck [Minneapolis Radio Broadcast September 19, 1975] 05:30 10. Ballin’ on the Reservation [Madrid Area Reservada November 24, 2000] 03:02 11. Blue Minor [Milan, Blue Note December 1, 2003] 06:24 12. Hard Times [New York, Jazz Standard May 4, 2008] 06:02 13. Minority [New York, Jazz Standard October 7, 2007] 06:38 14. New York State of Mind [London, Pizza Express December 2, 2001] 10:11 15. Let’s Make a Deal/Absent Soul [Paris, Sunside November 7, 2000] 17:33 16. Piano Players [Paris, Sunside November 7, 2000] 07:29 17. Song for a Sucker Like You [New York, Governor’s Island June 30, 1991] 04:41 18. On the Sunny Side of the Street [London, Pizza Express December 2, 2001] 06:27 19. Mitsubishi Boy [Osaka, Blue Note April 18,1991] 05:13 20. Straighten Up and Fly Right [New York, Governor’s Island June 30, 1991] 05:28 21. Lip Service [Osaka, Blue Note April 18,1991] 04:41 22. Walking with the Blues [Osaka, Blue Note April 18,1991] 08:30 23. Just a Dream [Tokyo, Cotton Club May 21, 2009] 04:37 24. Language of the Blues[Osaka, Blue Note April 18, 1991] 04:23 25. Too Hot to Touch [Tokyo, Quatro April 19,1991] 04:02 26. My Little Sherry [Tokyo, Cotton Club May 21, 2009] 04:35 27. Life’s a Lesson [Tokyo. Blue Note November 7,1991] 02:49
En tant que co-leader :
1. Chances Are 4:35 2. Broad Daylight 4:28 3. Walking With The Blues 4:41 4. Spread Your Wings 3:15 5. I Was A Little Too Lonely And You Were A Little Too Late 3:13 6. Face Your Fears 2:56
1. One Of These Days 3:18 2. Lip Service 3:45 3. Mood Swing 7:48 4. It Should Have Been Me 3:27 5. Yeh Yeh 3:49 6. Let's Make A Deal 5:24 7. Good Bye 5:26 8. Language Of The Blues 5:16 9. Too Hot To Touch 3:52 10. Georgia 5:09 11. I Love The Life I Live 3:57
1. You're Looking at Me 03:51 2. Solar 03:06 3. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off 03:11 4. Fullness of Time 02:57 5. Lately 03:27 6. When I Fall in Love 03:11 7. Doop Doop Song 02:29 8. Searching 04:20 9. What a Wonderful World 02:54 10. At Least We Got to the Race 03:15
1. One Of These Days 3:18 2. You Can Count On Me (To Do My Part) 3:22 3. If You Live 3:47 4. Was 3:28 5. Look Here 2:09 6. City Home 3:26 7. No Trouble Livin' 2:15 8. Benediction 3:01 9. Back On The Corner 2:23 10. Tell Me Something 2:40 11. I Don't Want Much 2:03 12. News Nightclub 2:43 13. Perfect Moment 2:13
1. Tuned In to You 03:40 2. But Not for Me 05:44 3. Doodlin' 03:59 4. Declaration of My Love 04:45 5. (Jumpin' With) Symphony Sid 04:44 6. On a Misty Night 05:12 7. That's the Way It Goes 04:50 8. Do It the Hard Way 03:17 9. Girl Talk 04:11 10. It Could Happen to You 05:42 11. Accentuate the Bass 03:42 12. Lush Life 05:44
1. I Fall In Love Too Easily 2. Doop Doop Song 3. SearchIng For a Girl Like You 4. What A Wonderful World 5. At Least We Got To The Rac 6. You're LookIng at Me 7. Solar 8. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off 9. Tea For Two 10. Fullness Of Time 11. Lately 12. When I Fall In Love
Jazz Legends : Live au Palais des Festivals de Cannes 1989 (2004),
In Concert at Ohne Filter 1995 (2005),
On the Live Side (Go Jazz, 2004).
↑ Blood on the Tracks (1975)
(en) Site officiel
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