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| Releasing July 11th - pianist Ben Clifton - Overlook (BCM) A big inspiration for this project was a result of personal tragedy. Clifton's father died from cancer when Clifton was nine years old and this devastated him. In the years after his death, he developed a much closer relationship with music and it became the medium through which he processed this life experience. Overlook is a celebration of Clifton honoring his father's legacy while also telling the story of his journey from grief to acceptance, carrying his father's spirit within himself and into the music. It is no coincidence that the album release date is July 11, 2025, the anniversary of his father's birthday. Pianist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Ben Clifton hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Growing up in the city's storied jazz community provided an early foundation for learning the language of jazz and developing a broad musical sensibility. His formative experiences in the church further shaped a deep connection to music's emotional and expressive power. As a high school student, he performed with the local Center of Life Youth Jazz Band and was awarded the Pitt-BNY Mellon Jazz Scholarship in 2012. Clifton earned a degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was mentored by respected figures such as Frank Cunimundo and the late Geri Allen. During this time, he performed and studied alongside renowned artists including Joe Lovano, Bobby Watson, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Larry Coryell — opportunities that greatly shaped his evolving artistic perspective. Now based in Houston, Texas, Clifton is known for his expressive musicality, collaborative sensibility, and commitment to the evolving jazz tradition. He has performed with artists such as Jalen Baker, Shelley Carrol, and Andre Hayward, and collaborated on genre-blending projects with DJ Sun and the Aperio Orchestra. His appearances at the Houston Jazz Festival, Texas Jazz Festival, and other notable events in the Texas jazz scene underscore his growing presence in the regional and national jazz communities. Drawing inspiration from both traditional and modern piano lineages, Clifton continues to incorporate these influences into a personal and evolving artistic language. Overlook is Clifton's first full length debut album as a bandleader. The name itself has multiple meanings. It first refers to the Schenley Park overlook in Pittsburgh, a place Clifton frequently visited as an adolescent that overlooks his hometown. The title also refers to how his music represents an overlook of both his personal experiences and musical collaborations through the years and the overlapping of the two. A big inspiration for this project was a result of personal tragedy. Clifton's father died from cancer when Clifton was nine years old and this devastated him. In the years after his death, he developed a much closer relationship with music and it became the medium through which he processed this life experience. Overlook is a celebration of Clifton honoring his father's legacy while also telling the story of his journey from grief to acceptance, carrying his father's spirit within himself and into the music. It is no coincidence that the album release date is July 11, 2025, the anniversary of his father's birthday. Accompanying Clifton on this project is a stellar band of prodigious musicians, each member well established in their own right. The core trio consists of Clifton accompanied by bassist Chad Wesselkamper and drummer Gavin Moolchan alongside many other featured artists on individual tracks. Gavin Moolchan is part of the next generation of Houston's well-established drum tradition. Having studied with greats such as Sebastian Whittaker, Daniel Dufour, and Will Kennedy, he has had the opportunity to perform and tour both nationally and internationally with artists such as Jalen Baker, Frank Lacy, Paul Cornish, David Caceres, Stratus, and Diunna Greenleaf at venues such as the Jazz Gallery in New York City and the Jazz Showcase in Chicago in addition to jazz festivals across the country. Chad Wesselkamper, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and member of the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame, has studied with jazz greats including Benny Golson, Antonio Sanchez, Carl Allen, Rodney Whitaker. He has performed with orchestras such as The Aspen Festival Orchestra, The New World Symphony, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam Philharmonic, The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, in addition to touring internationally and performing with artists such as the Eagles, Donald Harrison, T. NAVA (Free Nationals), and Jens Lindemann just to name a few. Other featured artists on the album amongst many others include percussionist Charlie Perez (John Legend, Juanes, La Mafia, Khruangbin, Leon Bridges), vibraphonist Jalen Baker (Jeremy Pelt, Johnathan Blake), Kelly Doyle (Robert Ellis), and John Calderon (Bobby Lyle, Regina Belle, and Al Jarreau). The opening track "Convocation" reflects the vitality of Clifton's life experience transitioning from boyhood to manhood; a process facilitated by male mentors in his life and carrying the spirit of his father within himself. It kicks off in full throttle with a drum fill by Moolchan followed by a forceful opening vamp section that thrusts the listener into a transcendental musical space. The bridge explores many rhythmic and harmonic turns before settling into the solo section. Switching timbres, Clifton plays a rhodes piano solo that starts off spacious but builds in melodic complexity then transitioning back to acoustic piano for the latter half of the solo layered with synthesizers before resolving back to the original melody. Following the opening track is "Shadows, " the only song on the album featuring a singer. Vocalist and co-writer Nicoya Polar takes the lead at the beginning creating a melancholy atmosphere alongside Clifton's dark piano timbre leading into an intricate pre-chorus featuring a unison line by Polar, Clifton, and Wesselkamper. The song represents the feeling of being "caught in the shadows" and hiding from others out of fear instead of being courageous, taking risks, and embracing one's true purpose. As the song unfolds it begins to brighten as more courage is illuminated that is represented musically through confidently driven solos by both Clifton and Polar. "No Access to Hollywood" is a musical exploration and collaboration between Clifton and guitarist Kelly Doyle inspired by the curiosity in combining the pair's very different harmonic and melodic sensibilities. Doyle's captivating and spacious guitar tone coupled by his stylings hinting at indie and country sound palettes performed with a jazz sensibility transport the listener into another musical dimension. His sound, paired with Clifton's odd-time rhythmic organ comping and background piano embellishments (hinting at subtle jazz idioms), transports the listener to a mystifying musical landscape that feels both offset and grounded at the same time. The name of the track is a fun spinoff of the name of Doyle's composition "Access Hollywood." "No Access to Hollywood" segues into "Serenity, " a song inspired by the hardships in Clifton's own personal life through the loss of his father and his own personal healing. The melodic contour and harmonies of "Serenity" convey that the pathway to peace in one's own life is often marked by a healing process marked by hardship. The song begins with a meditative vamp followed by a somber melody over the head shared by Clifton and vibraphonist Jalen Baker that only resolves to a serene melodic and harmonic center at the end of each A section. Following this musical imagery of hardship and peace are solos by both Baker and Clifton that are both complimented by floating rhythmic interplay between Moolchan and Wesselkamper bringing a sense of vitality to the composition. CClifton’s ballad “Constructs” kicks off with a left-hand piano figure followed by a mixed-meter melody that traverses many twists and turns. The song is a representation of Clifton’s own personal therapy journey and its ups and downs throughout the years, a healing process that has never been linear. The song begins with a somewhat hopeful melody that falls into a solo section marked by despair and pessimism representing the time it takes to get below surface-level content when processing trauma. Clifton plays a lyrical solo that builds with frustration and intensity, almost to the point of exhaustion where he leaves space towards the end of the solo. A sigh of relief is felt towards the end when the main melody is played for the last time with a more hopeful demeanor. The titular “Overlook” features a sing-able melody over a flowing form that has multiple meanings. The title is an homage to Clifton’s hometown of Pittsburgh and paints a musical picture of standing on top of the Schenley Park overlook, a place Clifton frequented as a child representing a sense of home and rootedness amid a tumultuous childhood. The composition is also a reference to the thread that unites all Clifton’s music: resonating sonic textures that convey an overlook of his own experiences and emotions from childhood to present times that inspired the building of his own personal canon and musical voice. After the head both Wesselkamper and Clifton take solos followed by the head and a feature showcasing Moolchan’s subtle touch approach and virtuosity with a strong landing as the close. “Relapse” begins with a dynamic solo bass feature by Wesselkamper conjuring an image of a desolate wilderness landscape. The harmonic and melodic structure of the composition oscillates between a sense of deep sadness and a temporary reprieve from sadness representing the ways in his childhood that Clifton tried to escape and numb the pain from the loss of his father. He plays a very tasteful solo initially experimenting with space and shapes that build into increasingly more intricate melodies that are nicely complimented by Moolchan’s delicate touch and comping. “Cortlandt” evokes a sense of optimism, joy, and play in contrast with “Relapse” and shows a different musical side of Clifton and his stylistic influences. The name refers to the street that Clifton lives on and pays homage to the millennial and Gen-Z musicians around the world recording music at home (“in the shed”) as opposed to recording at high end studios. The song emerged as a “happy accident” during a jam session in Clifton’s living room with bassist Nicco Martinez and drummer/producer Johnathan Hulett. True to historical jazz tradition the performance is fully improvised and recorded first take with no prior plan before recording with only a little bit of editing after the fact. The song is a conglomeration of ideas from Clifton, Hulett, and Martinez that range from styles such as hip-hop, neo-soul, lo-fi, and jam band sounds played with a jazz sensibility. Cortlandt is a celebration of being rooted at home playing music with musical family. “Lost on Maple” is a song penned close to 17 plus years ago that is now recorded here in its final form. Clifton wrote the song at his childhood home on Maple Ave shortly after his father’s death a few years earlier. The song features a string quartet with violinists Emily and Mario Zelaya, Shayna Powers on viola, and Aimee Norris on cello with an arrangement co-written by Clifton and Arthur Moyler. During the second half of the composition the quartet accompanies a solo by Clifton afterward taking the melody for the majority of the rest of the song with embellishments by Clifton creating an atmosphere of chamber music in a modern jazz context. “Return to Sanity” opens with a deep piano drone followed by musical embellishments by Wesselkamper creating an ominous layer of sound for the listener. For Clifton this song represents the sorrow of reaching rock bottom in one’s life and feeling offset, a theme that is musically represented by the 5/4 time signature and mournful sounding harmony. All three solos by Wesselkamper, Clifton, and Moolchan convey the intensity of reaching bottom through their own personal interpretations. “Introspection” is the only solo piano composition presented. Similar to Cortlandt, it was recorded at his home. The track is left intentionally imperfect and peculiar. It features Clifton playing a heavily processed tape-sounding piano during a practice session recorded on his Iphone with his dog Jasper heard in the background. For Clifton the song is an improvisation performed late at night during an introspective period of his life where this improvisation captured his inner-most thoughts. The inclusion of this song on the album is a musical statement that sometimes a composition is best presented as “perfectly imperfect” and true to its original form in the most honest way as opposed to an overly recorded and produced final product. The inspiration behind “Dream State” is Clifton’s forward-looking approach to holding hope for the future while not forgetting events of the past. While starting off more contemplative as a piano ballad, both Moolchan and Wesselkamper eventually join Clifton in a way that provides a floating, modern-sounding texture that wades back and forth dynamically in a hopeful demeanor. Inspired by his own personal growth, Clifton explores the idea perspective in “Don’t Live the Same.” It features a timeless melody played by Clifton with percussion embellishments by percussionist Charlie Perez followed by different interpretations of the same theme by Wesselkamper and drummer Mark Simmons Jr. The song concludes with an upbeat and fortissimo coda section showcasing Simmon’s presence and facility on the drums that fades to a much softer ending highlighting musical contrasts while maintaining a unified sound. The closing track “Precious Transition” is another song penned close to 15 plus years ago that is now presented here. It is a dedication to Clifton’s father and represents the stages of grief from depression to acceptance and is a celebration of the healing process of overcoming the trauma from his father’s passing. The first half of the song conveys a mood of sorrow and features brilliantly carved solos by guitarist John Calderon and Wesselkamper. The second portion radiates a more uplifting melody featuring saxophonist Cliff Gordon leading to an ending vamp showcasing Clifton’s Hammond Organ playing alongside exchanging licks by Gordon and Calderon. The sonic textures at the end paint the picture of uplifted-ness and acceptance while also representing the soul of Clifton’s father moving to a better place after the pain that he endured. TRACK, TIMES, COMPOSER: Convocation 4:11 (Ben Clifton) Shadows 4:19 (Ben Clifton, Nicoya Polar) No Access to Hollywood 1:17 (Ben Clifton and Kelly Doyle) Serenity 6:20 (Ben Clifton) Constructs 6:14 (Ben Clifton) Overlook 7:16 (Ben Clifton) Relapse 7:05 (Ben Clifton) Cortlandt 1:22 (Ben Clifton, Nicco Martinez, Johnathan Hulett) Lost on Maple 4:23 (Ben Clifton, Arthur Moyler) Return to Sanity 8:18 (Ben Clifton) Introspection 1:50 (Ben Clifton) Dream State 8:11 (Ben Clifton) Don’t Live the Same 4:11 (Ben Clifton) Precious Transition 7:15 (Ben Clifton) Total Run Time: 1 hour 12 minutes PLAYERS, INSTRUMENT: Piano: Ben Clifton (All tracks) Keyboards: Ben Clifton (Track 1) Hammond Organ: Ben Clifton (Tracks 3 and 14) Acoustic Bass: Chad Wesselkamper (All tracks except 8) Electric Bass and Co-Writer: Nicco Martinez (Track 8) Drums: Gavin Moolchan (All tracks except 8 and 13) Drums: Mark Simmons Jr (Track 13) Drums and Co-Writer: Johnathan Hulett (Track 8) Percussion: Charlie Perez (Track 13) Vocalist and Co-Writer: Nicoya Polar (Track 2) Electric Guitar and Co-Writer: Kelly Doyle (Track 3) Electric Guitar: John Calderon (Track 14) Tenor Saxophone: Cliff Gordon (Track 14) Vibraphone: Jalen Baker (Track 4) Violin: Emily Zelaya (Track 9) Violin: Mario Zelaya (Track 9) Viola: Shayna Powers (Track 9) Cello: Aimee Norris (Track 9) CREDITS: String arrangement Co-Writer: Arthur Moyler (Track 9) Recording and mixing engineer: Josh Applebee Mastering Engineer: Chris Longwood write your comments about the article :: © 2025 Jazz News :: home page |