I love all kinds of music and I’m happy that I get to create a wide and inspired variety. Below are links to my discography that ranges from solo indie-folk and alternative songwriter efforts to my soul/jazz organ trio The Mini Qs to my multi-year collaboration with electronic producer RVLVR to my Grammy nominated performance with Eric Roberson and more.
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Ungoverned Transformation, Constructed Improvisations
A collaborative music and photography series created remotely in response to the global pandemic, this Oh Yeah Cool series features improvisational music by artist Ben O’Neill, presented with images from photographers currently living in Manhattan, Jersey City, and Philadelphia. The photographs tell stories of the vacillating emotional states caused by Covid-19, including photos from March 2020, just as the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic.
In Ungoverned Transformation, Ben used his voice on guitar to construct improvisations ignited by ten photographs related to the quarantine period of 2020. Drawing as much inspiration from the hymns of American gospel as the musings of French surrealist composer Erik Satie, the works embody reflectivity and eeriness, cacophony and calm. The ten pieces were created and recorded in a burst, over two days.
Conceived as a mode of seeking kinship during a profoundly unsettling time, Ungoverned Transformation has morphed into a way to provide some support to the most vulnerable among us.
Tiny Desk Contest 2020 entry
A Prayer, A Boast
THE MINI Q’S
Luke Carlos O'Reilly and Anwar Marshall are two of my favorite musicians in the world; we learn from each other, inspire each other and keep each other working. This soul/jazz organ trio is one of the long running creative outlets in my life and the album Ride Again (Spring Garden Records) conveys the crackling energy and refreshing breadth of the group.
Luke and I started the Qs in 2004, hosting a weekly, Monday night jam session in Olde City. The session ran for over 3 years and was a meeting place and proving ground for the city's up and coming musicians. Having played together for thousands of hours, Luke and I have developed a near-telepathic musical understanding that is still a joy to explore and it couldn't be better complimented than by the incredible Anwar Marshall.
S A L T
Salt is the train stop where the direction became clearer. As I was approaching the station, I thought it was the terminus, and there is something about the muscular and decisive performance that implies completion, but the train was just pausing and shortly I found myself on a quieter track toward a more remote destination. Listening again, I can hear the paring back of the underbrush and see that the fog that had obscured the rails was lifting. It's a good station to visit.
Released in 2017.
Collaboration with RVLVR
RVLVR and I met in college and bonded over Miles Davis, A Tribe Called Quest and Radiohead. Over the years we've created a number of EPs and singles together. This is the latest and I think it's our best work yet. A new EP will be completed in 2021.
A Tale of Two (feat. Ben "Bananas" O'Neill & Michelle Thompson)
Eric Roberson is a friend and mentor, an inspiration and a leader. Eric's talent and dedication lead him to a 2009 Grammy nomination. His decision to list me and my friend Michelle Thopmson as featured artists allowed us to be included in that honor. The Grammy nom was greatly appreciated, but the most important thing I took from that was Eric's decision to treat those around him as important and valuable. That's something I strive to emulate.