Folk Bands and Artists
Ben Smith
Ben started playing the guitar at the age of nine. Shortly after starting to play a neighbour introduced him to the blues, and B B King in particular. His style and music is influenced by the greats of the blues, funk, folk and beyond, and after years of playing many gigs in many styles, with many different bands and people, he was inspired by a three-month stay in New Orleans to branch on his own, to pursue his own style and sound. During this time, Ben has supported the great Joan Armatrading on her two most recent tours, as well as Robert Cray, Jon Gomm, Matt Schofield, Wilko Johnson, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Stefan Grossman and Ian McCullogh. He also recently shared the bill with Gordon Giltrap, John Etheridge, Paul Brett, Gareth Pearson and ´Tubular Bells´ producer Tom Newman.
