Ben Basile’s passion for music was ignited in 7th grade, when his sister gave him a stack of ska and punk rock CDs. Digging deeper into the music, Ben's curiosity grew as his weekends became full of traveling to see live music. These captivating concerts inspired him to pick up an instrument of his own. He wasn’t too fond of his first instrument, the trombone, but that didn’t stop him from eventually finding his true love, the electric bass!
Ben first studied music in 2008 at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he earned a Music Performance Certificate and an Associate Degree in Business. Ben continued his music education at The State University of New York at New Paltz, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Jazz Studies in 2011. In 2012, Ben expanded his musical voice and began studying and performing on upright bass.
After graduating from New Paltz, Ben set out to become a full-time musician. He hit the ground running and began to perform with a variety of projects such as cover bands, jazz groups, and singer-songwriters. He was playing everything except for the genre that started it all: ska. In 2013, he became the fill-in bass player for the NYC ska and reggae group Pilfers, for a six week United States and Canada tour. This was Ben’s canon event that would launch his career; taking him from ska fan to ska musician! On that tour, he connected with Boston’s Big D and The Kids Table, joining the band just before the Warped Tour in 2013. In addition, Ben also had the opportunity to record and tour with the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble from 2014-2017.
When he is home in New York’s Hudson Valley, Ben performs regularly with In The Pocket, Eric Puente Jazz Quartet, and Sheridan Rúitín. Ben is also a founding member of the Poughkeepsie Jazz Project, a group which supports the local jazz community by organizing a weekly jazz jam session since 2012. In 2016, Ben self-released a hard bop inspired jazz EP, Two For Twenty. Ben is currently working on his debut LP of ska and reggae compositions; he states that "...of all the music I’ve recorded, this is the record that feels the most like me." Click here to check out Ben’s music!
Ben hopes to inspire people of all ages to learn an instrument; he always says "It's never too late to play music!" He currently teaches private music lessons in person and online. While Ben's primary instruments are electric and upright bass, he also teaches music theory, jazz theory, improvisation, and beginner piano. Click here to find out more about music lessons with Ben!
Ben has performed across six continents, and is currently awaiting an invitation to play in Antarctica from an adventurous promoter! Ben’s travels have shown him the universal nature and importance of music as a means of communication. Click here to see where Ben is performing next!
In his free time, Ben enjoys cooking, traveling, playing chess, and being outdoors. Despite his successes, Ben remains grounded in humility, expressing gratitude for the myriad of opportunities that have enriched his life.