Kaslo Jazz etc. floating stage with Breakwater

Thank you Jeff Faragher & Breakwater for the opportunity to perform on the floating stage at the 2015 Kaslo Jazz etc. festival. What a treat! I had to jump into the lake off the back of the stage after the show.. it’s tradition!

Dreamtree Project at Starbelly Jam

Gallery

This gallery contains 12 photos.

Photos by Joel Pelletier www.joelpelletier.ca Featuring Adham Shaikh, Uwe Neumann, Gurpreet Chana, Marty Carter, and yours truly, Ben Johnson performing at the 2015 Starbelly Jam music festival.

Aire Nuevo – Música Musa

A nice recording credit for the Dog House Studio!

Kenji Fukushima recorded his guitar tracks in the Riondel studio last January, and we sent them off to Hans in Mexico City for mixing.

So inspiring to be part of an international collaboration! Kenji’s guitar is heard on:

  • track 5; Inspiración 17:01
  • track 6; Música Musa 19:34

 

A Dream of Tulum


A “dreamscape” produced with field recordings from Tulum (Q. Roo) and Merida (Yucatan), Mexico. The Caribbean Sea breeze playing the strings of an Aeolian harp, a Guitarrón surreptitiously plucked, a Mayan ritual re-enactment.

released 24 June 2014
Caty Petersen (Aeolian harp), Indira Beatrix (laughter).

Dog House Studio

A little cabin in the woods, where magic happens.

Some stuff we’ve created here:

Studio inquiries: Contact Ben

Unity 2012

This year’s Unity festival in Winlaw, BC opened with world music improv group “Shrutrio”, composed of Prashant Michael John on vocals & resonator guitar, Marty Carter on flute, saxophone, Akai Ewi wind synth and djembe, and Ben Johnson on oud and tabla. Building on repertoire developed during Kirtan night performances together, the trio took some traditional song forms along with some of Prashant’s original pieces into extra-dimensional sacred space.

What a wonderful way to open a festival! Photography by Bohdan Doval.

Samba Lago Profundo

Samba Lago Profundo – East Shore grupo de samba (www.sambalagoprofundo.ca) is the community percussion ensemble founded in 2011 by Ben Johnson.

Rooted in the Rio Carnaval style of Brazilian samba, the group nonetheless incorporates other style of Brazilian music (such as Forró), as well as other influences from around the globe (Bhangra!).
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the Outworld Orkestra

Live world fusion/acoustic-electronic music project with Adham Shaikh, the Outworld Orkestra (www.outworld-orkestra.com) brings together the talents of artists from around the sphere adding unique and exotic instrumentation, dance and visual media to Adham’s organic and electronic sounds. The collaboration of the musicians with dance & visual art creates global music tapestries that take listeners on sonic journeys transcending time and place.
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Great Central Sun (Shine, 2012)

Australian Didjeridu master Shine‘s first full-length release Great Central Sun – produced by Adham Shaikh – features Ben Johnson throughout on a variety of instruments including oud, çümbüş, tabla, Persian santoor & darbuka.
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Gesundheit! (Heavy Shtetl, 2010)

Recorded in one take in one room with one microphone, Gesundheit! is the second release by Nelson BC’s premiere klezmer jazz outfit, Heavy Shtetl. Featuring Ben Johnson on drums & darbukka.
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5 Lb. Hammer (Howlin’ Dan & the Riondelics, 2009)

Produced by D.G. Silakiewicz & Ben Johnson, 5 Lb. Hammer features Ben Johnson on drums throughout, and on keyboard accordion on the Blues-Tango number ‘Hey Cinderella’.
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Drumming with Youssoupha Sidibe

http://youtu.be/daaWBPsUVZE

What an honour and a workout to perform with the kind and powerful Youssoupha Sidibe, playing his Senegalese kora, with Robbie Roots on bass guitar.

Shot on iPhone by Christine Hamilton – July 24, 2012 at the Royal on Baker, Nelson BC
After one 4-hour rehearsal!