Ben's CD Reviews:
For Speed of Sound:
"With unflagging creativity and flawless timing, Ben Freed's stewardship of a new millennial New York bluegrass sound is steady-as-she-goes while perforating boundaries....Ben's vision makes this a banjo album for the ages...."-Tony Trischka
Bluegrass Unlimited, April 2003 It isn’t. Bluegrass, that is. At least some of it isn’t. (The unsettled and unending 30-year on-going debate in the letters section of this publication as to what constitutes real bluegrass does not bother us a bit here…). And, on the other hand, it is all terrific music.
Ben Freed is a very talented Armonk, New York, banjo player who, incidentally, also gets around well on resonator guitar, pedal steel, and bass. His “Suite For Bluegrass Banjo” is a collection of twelve of his original compositions. What is great about the music here is that it is “close enough” to bluegrass that it should be of interest to most readers, and at the same time it is sufficiently different as to be intriguing to those who, while loving all those old three-chord bluegrass instrumentals, oft yearn for something that challenges the ear. It is the melodic strength of each cut that makes this music so attractive. It would seem Freed took to heart Earl’s mother’s admonition to play a strong clear melody, which is a nice change in an era when a bluegrass (or other) instrumental often means a bunch of chords strung together in random order, and the listener provides the melody line. When Freed composes a tune, there is no doubt about what he had in mind, and what he had in mind is typically intriguing, different, and very catchy.
Simply put, Ben Freed has a lot of extremely good musical ideas, and the ability to execute them well on the banjo. Whether it’s one of the four cuts such as “Bucktail Jig” that feature Rushad Eggleston’s fine cello work, or Freed’s solo workout on “Nine Below,” or the standard bluegrass instrumentation on “Cruise Control,” “The Keeper,” “The Sweet Spot,” and most of the remainder of the cuts, the strong melody lines combined with clever ideas and some great ensemble arranging make the CD great listening. It hurts the proceedings not at all to have help here from a fine group of sidemen, including Kenny Kosek on fiddle, Barry Mitterhoff and Mark Sasano on mandolin, Jon Sholle on guitar, and Jim Whitney and Mark Murphy on bass. Freed contributes some nice resonator and pedal steel guitar and bass work along the banjo. It should be noted also that Eggleston’s cello work, when present, meets the bluegrass musicians more than halfway along the spectrum from bluegrass to classical. Very impressive.
Freed has done an excellent job of holding on to his bluegrass underpinnings while giving us some great new tunes that are both infectious and very creative, on the edge of bluegrass and beyond. Highly recommended. (Ben Freed, 45 Evergreen Row, Armonk, NY, 10504. wwwbanjoben.com. Email: benfreed@aol.com) AW.....ALLAN WALTON
New York Post, 2/18/03..."Ben Freed takes two steps forward from his technically tight debut by adding musical warmth to this instrumental collection....Freed gets high marks for writing an entire album of bluegrass music where each song has its own personality."
From The Banjo Newsletter, June 2003
By Donald Nitchie
Ben Freed¹s second release, "Suite for
Bluegrass Banjo," is a classy
Here's
a review of "Suite for Bluegrass Banjo" from the March, 2003 issue of the magazine,
"Bluegrass Now".....by Joe
Falletta
More than a few times, Ben seems to be improvising that way jazz
musicians have, first setting the theme before jumping into some amazing
variations. He blows you away with driving beats and almost unbelievable note
runs on pieces like “Hammerhead,” with Jon Sholle’s electric guitar
weaving in and around Ben’s hot twin banjo work, and then blows your mind once
again with sheer beauty on a classically flavored piece like “Kaddish.”
“Nine Below” alternates wonderfully in waltz time between the
mysterious minor and the lovely and melodious major. Then Ben sits down at the
pedal steel for some boogy-woogy on “Road Hog.” Close your eyes and you can
almost picture an 18-wheeler bearing down on you. Check out Kenny Kosek and
Barry Mitterhoff for some hot fiddle and mandolin on “Cruise Control.”
Tony Trischka says in the liner notes, Ben’s “new millenial New York
bluegrass sound is steady-as-she-goes while perforating boundaries.”
Shattering boundaries might be the more accurate expression.
Cello is not a term anyone would expect to hear mentioned in the same
breath with banjo, let alone find on the same CD. This is indeed music for a new
millenium, however, very melodious, very pleasant, while at the same time
driving, syncopated, and boggling the mind with its inventiveness. Rushad
Eggleston’s cello work is masterful, invigorating on the sizzling opener,
“Unhinged,” lovely and quite moving on “Kaddish.”
Tony calls Ben’s creativity “unflagging,” his timing, “flawless,” and this CD, “one blast of a banjo romp.” With two CDs and a cassette to his credit, he’s a talent just waiting to be discovered big time."
From Chet Williamson at http://www.rambles.net/freed_suite03.html
Ben Freed: SUITE FOR BLUEGRASS BANJO. Banjoben Music, 2003.
"I'd never heard of Ben Freed before receiving this CD, but now that I have I'd sure like to hear more. This is a self-produced project that any of the major bluegrass or acoustic labels like Rounder or Sugar Hill should have been proud to release. Ben Freed is a banjo wizard, and his playing and compositions are first-class. It isn't your daddy's bluegrass banjo, however. This is far-seeing, sophisticated music in the style of Tony Trischka (who penned the liner essay), Bela Fleck, and Allison Brown, music that takes the banjo to places it's never been before.
Personally, I think that the toughest thing in the world of music is to make a really interesting banjo album. The average one is recorded by a banjoist from a bluegrass band who rounds up his bandmates and delivers a traditional mix of vocals and instrumentals in which he is the featured artist, but in many numbers becomes less dominant. Fine technique is usually in evidence, but the interest wanes before the CD is over, as in the sense of "This is fine stuff, but I've heard most of it before." That's not the case with Freed's album, in which your ears are constantly alert for sounds that you haven't heard before.
That's what Freed delivers from the first track, "Unhinged," which uses a bluegrass structure, but has twisting and turning rhythms and unpredictable chord changes, as well as great support from Rushad Eggleston's swinging cello. "The Keeper" bubbles right along, and
"Bucktail Jig" shows Freed's prodigious talents on steel guitar, while sharing the stage with Eggleston's cello, making for a rich combination of tone. "The Sweet Spot" gets into swing territory, with some dandy mandolin work from Wayne Fugate. The composition goes all over the place melodically, and never flags in its energy.
"Skunked" has a funky, down-home sound, and Freed proves himself to have superior jazz chops as well. A nice change of pace is offered in
"Kaddish," and then we burn again into "Hammerhead." Both this composition and the minor-key "Cruise Control" have great drive. There's a more contemplative, moody feel to "Nine Below," and "Hook Line & Sinker" mines more traditional veins, reminding me of "Jerusalem Ridge" in its tone. Freed gives us that old time rock 'n roll with "Road Hog," with its insistent pedal steel work, and "Live Bait" closes things out with some old-fashioned, mile-a-minute picking frenzy, which boasts some head-twisting, modern sounding dissonances.
Beside Eggleston and Fugate, Freed is supported by some other top players, among them Kenny
Kosek, Jon Sholle, Barry Mitterhoff, and Jim Whitney, but the show is all his. His banjo technique is second to none, and his compositional skills are every bit equal to them. This is an absolutely grand banjo CD. I can't imagine any banjo player not learning something from it, and can't imagine any fan of bluegrass not enjoying it. Ben Freed is a gem, and I only hope that this modestly packaged but splendid CD will find the audience it richly deserves."
Review from Pete Milano, The Bluegrass Connection http://www.bluegrassville.com/Reviews/ Ben lists his recording as "12 original bluegrass banjo instrumentals". From the first few notes played I new that I was in for a real treat. Where has this guy been? Why haven't I heard of him before? The songs are great and the arrangements are very tasteful. Ok, maybe I should calm down some and try and not to be emotional about this CD. You will hear some "not so bluegrass", type instruments on this CD. However, when someone adds a Cello and even an electric guitar to a "Bluegrass" recording you would think that it would be a negative. Not here. Everything is done at such a "pleasing to the ear" level that you just want to listen to more and more.I happen to be partial to CD recordings with vocals. However, this CD of banjo instrumentals is one that doesn't need vocals to satisfy my needs.If you like banjo and instrumentals go out and buy this CD and listen to some really good music. If you don't have a banjo instrumental CD in your collection then I would say that this is definately a good one to be the first entry. This CD should be a welcomed addition to anyone's collection.
For Speed of Sound:
praise for speed of sound.....
The Elderly Music Catalog....."Virtuoso, creative banjo playing!"
Bluegrass
Unlimited, May, 2001... "On what seems to be his first commercially available recording, New York banjoist Ben Freed not only boldly debuts with an album of ten original instrumentals, but also avoids the pitfalls that often bring down albums of this type, including lack of variety in theme and style and lack of tunefulness. When I think how many similarly conceived projects go along under a sameness of sound, then compare it to the work found here, the contrast is striking.
The thing you first note is the absolute melodiousness of Freed's playing, which he supports with a high level of technique and creativity. His touch and approach reminds me at times of the combination of drive and lyrical feel Alan Munde displayed on his "Banjo Sandwich" albums. This is particularly the case on tunes such as the bouncy "Labor Of Love," and, perhaps to an even greater extent, the jazzy waltz of "Magenta Morning."
It is, however, as a composer and arranger that Freed may be at his best. Without exception, the tunes here are instantly accessible. I'm thinking in particular of the country-rock feel of "American Flounder," which made me think of those tunes Roger McGuinn and Clarence White used to play with the Byrds. Jon Sholle adds a nifty Telecaster solo here. I'm also thinking of the opening phrase of "Labor Of Love" which recalled a pop melody of the '60s I can't quite place. Then there is the jig-like lilt of "The Snapper," and the gentle but insistent pulse of "Pipe's Cove" on which Freed uses the banjo more for layers of color than as a lead instrument. The lead he leaves to the fiddle, mandolin, and his own resonator guitar. My favorite composition is "Over The Waterfall," simply for its clarity and drive and for the nice, offbeat, third section."
The New York Post: Jan 2, 2001 "Speed of Sound" 3 1/2 Stars ......Ben Freed, a fixture on the Metro pickers scene, has committed his finest fretwork to a CD that's long on virtuosity and features the genre's necessary velocity - as the disc's title implies. While Freed can play anything with strings, it's when he's behind the five-string banjo that he excels. Rather than attempting to impress the listener with how many notes he can pack into a bar, Freed has a gift for giving the banjo, an instrument that can be harsh in lesser hands, heart and warmth. This is best illustrated on his compositions "Labor of Love" and "Magenta Morning." The CD is a very pretty instrumental collection that will please those with a hankering for traditional old-time American music."
Banjo
Newsletter,
September, 2001: "Speed of Sound is an impressive debut, featuring ten
original instrumentals that are distinctive, well arranged, and well
performed... I was caught by the fresh, lyrical quality of Ben's tunes..."
Sing Out, Winter 2002, Vol 45 #4 BEN FREED, “Speed Of Sound” As the title implies, Speed Of Sound flies along, unbound, from the onset with the title cut on through to the tenth and final track, "Pipe's Cove." With a winning lineup of supporting musicians, Ben Freed gives us an album of original instrumentals. Point of reference: it's Freed you hear playing banjo on the Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona soundtrack. His creative style is refreshing, different and demonstrates thoughtful depth in the complexity of the compositions as well as with the full‑fledged arrangements. But he doesn't stop here; not only does Freed showcase his banjo‑picking abilities, he overdubs himself on Dobro, pedal steel, rhythm guitar, bass and mandolin. He picks up the mandolin only when it's not in the hands of Barry Mitterhoff or, Wayne Fugate. Other stellar players woven into the fabric of this album are Kenny Kosek, Bill Christophersen and Joyce Anderson sharing fiddle duties; Jon Sholle and Orrin Star trading off on lead guitar and Jeff Berman doing percussion work. This is collaboration at its best, a very involved recording. Each player's, input contributes to this album's success. It's not an overbearing banjo tome, but rather a cohesive unit that works with and around the banjo, always at center. Pedal steel and a hot electrabilly guitar (from Sholle) inject an occasional hint of country into the bluegrass/newgrass based set of tunes. Personal faves: "American Flounder," "Bamboozled" and “Locality”.With exceptional clarity,Speed Of Sound steps along effortlessly from one cut to the next - a thoroughly enjoyable journey.- SPL
www.bluegrassworld.com
"Speed Of Sound" is fresh material, not spin-offs of well known tunes,
presented in a well produced album for your listening enjoyment."
From the The Jamboree, the Newsletter of The Hudson Valley Bluegrass Assn Spring, 2001: "Speed of Sound(****) is an outstanding collection of 10 fresh instrumentals, including the hardest driving straight ahead bluegrass imaginable, a dreamy waltz, a few old timey numbers, and traditional acoustic tunes with a modern edge. All 10 numbers, composed and aranged by HVBA member and multi-instrumentalist Ben Freed, are built around his mastery of the five-string banjo. But Freed doesn't stop at playing a great banjo. He also shines on dobro, pedal steel, rhythm guitar and mandolin. For good measure, Ben plays bass on every cut. A bevy of guest artists complements Ben's outstanding musicianship. The tried and true bluegrass fans will love the title tune, Speed of Sound. The banjo sets the tempo at a blazing pace. Renowned fiddler Kenny Kosek and mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff take the baton to keep the party going. Listen for Mitterhoff's Footprints in the Snow riff at the head of the last mandolin break. The second tune, American Flounder contains some countryfied chicken picking guitar work by Jon Sholle. Freed demonstrates his prowess on pedal steel with a fine break on Labor of Love. Orrin Star provides an outstanding flatpicking solo on Grind. Bill Christophersen fiddles smoothly on Magenta Moming, that dreamy waltz. Other guest musicians include Joyce Andersen, (fiddle), Wayne Fugate (mandolin) and Jeff Berman (percussion). This recording, done with impeccably good taste, is highly reminiscent of one of my favorite records of all time, Bela Fleck's Natural Bridge"..................... Jeff Anzevino