A0683-CD: 1 Man Band

1 Man Band
Benjamin J. Creighton Griffiths - Harp

Front cover: 1 Man Band

The CD, 1 Man Band, is a varied recording of Ben's work. It contains a mix of styles and genres, acoustic and electronic music, and well known tunes and new original music. It features solo harp, solo piano, and mixed tracks as well as one duet (The Station) with percussionist Matthew Williams. Recorded at Acapela Studios in the summer of 2016 and mastered by Reel Time Studios, 1 Man Band is an exciting and fresh approach to the idea of Harp, Jazz, and Jazz Harp by Ben Creighton Griffiths.

Buy this album now CD: £12.00+ p&p 

 

Artist Profile and catalogue of works - Ben Creighton Griffiths

Track Listing

Tracks - Harp
1. Caravan - Ellington/Mills/Tizol  
2. You've Got a Friend In Me - Randy Newman  
3. Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock  
4. Turn Out The Stars - Bill Evans  
5. Time On My Hands - Gordon/Adamson/Youmans  
6. A Night In Tunisia - Gillespie/Paparelli  
7. Morning - Clare Fischer  
8. The Station - Creighton Griffiths/Williams  
     

Samples from the CD

Coming Soon

CD Notes & Credits

CD Notes

1 Man Band:
For this recording I was not aiming to make a Harp CD, a Jazz CD, or even a Jazz Harp CD instead 1 Man Band is a snap shot of where I am at this point in my development as a musician - a showcase of what I'm enjoying doing at this moment in time.

The beauty of the Creative Industry is that everything is constantly under review and development, my music changing as I change and mature as a musician. For this project I've taken blends of some genres that I love (like Gypsy Jazz, Reggae, and Funk) utilised both electronic and acoustic music, and included a variety of different tones and timbres reflecting the live music I perform on a regular basis. I have also, for the first time in my life, prepared solo piano works for public performance, one of which is recorded on this CD. One aim of these recent developments is to create a variety in my performances that goes beyond that which is possible for me as a soloist on a single instrument.

Going forwards I have many ideas that require further experimentation and refinement. Continual development of my solo harp playing is of huge importance, as is the advancement of my work with electronics, both with the harp and with synths & keys. Following on from the solo piano work undertaken for this project I also want to develop my piano playing further, particularly in the more traditional jazz styles.

Perhaps the most important pointer for the future demonstrated on this recording is 'The Station'. While this track truly belongs to another project that is currently in the works I wanted to provide it as a preview. My great friend Matthew Williams and I have created a group called Chube – rather than being a regular band our aim is to be the nucleus of a group of like minded musicians writing, arranging, and recording tracks together. This group based work is something that I feel will give me more opportunities as a composer as well as a performer and we look forward to developing the project during 2017.

 

Thanks:
Huge thanks to all of the following who have been involved with this project:
Firstly to my parents who have, as always, been hugely supportive of me and this project as well as being instrumental in its organisation and completion. To my grandparents for all their generosity and support over the years. To Matthew Williams for his awesome playing, composing, mixing, and advice on this project – looking forward to more work in the future with Chube. To my tutor and mentor Julian Martin for his invaluable advice and expertise on all aspects of my work. To all involved on the production side of this project who have all done a fantastic job – including Acapela Studios, Da Vision, Reel Time Studios, and Creighton's Collection. Finally a huge thank you to my amazing partner Sara-Jane Waters for her fantastic photos, creative ideas, and unconditional support.

Ben Creighton Griffiths, January 2017


CD Credits

Ben Creighton Griffiths (Harp, Keys, Piano)
Harp: Camac 47 Big Blue Electro-Acoustic Pedal Harp
Featuring Matthew Williams Percussion & Drums – Track 8

Recorded – Acapela Studios
Recording Engineers – Hywel Wigley & Luca Gribaudo
Mixing Engineer – Hywel Wigley
Additional Mixing / Editing (Track 8) – Luca Gribaudo & Matthew Williams
Mastering – Meurig Hailstone (Reel Time Studios)
Photography & Design – Sara-Jane Waters

Tracks 1-7 arranged Ben Creighton Griffiths
Track 8 Ben Creighton Griffiths & Matthew Williams

Produced & Self Released: Ben Creighton Griffiths
MCPS: BJCG05

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting and copying of this recoding prohibited.
Copyright ©2015 Ben Creighton Griffiths.

Ben Creighton Griffiths - web site: www.bjcg.co.uk

Album Information

Title: 1 Man Band
Tracks: See panel above
Artist: Benjamin Creighton Griffiths - Harp
Mathew Williams - Percussion track 8
Instruments: Harp / Harp & Percussion
Genre: Gypsy Jazz, Reggae, and Funk
Format: Audio CD
Our Ref: A0683
MCPS: BJCG05
Label: Self produced by artist
Year: 2017
Origin: Wales (UK)