Ben Willis

Ben Willis began studying music with his father at nine years old and over the next years studied piano, trombone, double bass, electric bass and guitar, voice, music theory and composition. After completing his degree at Western Illinois University in 1995 he moved to México where he performed throughout the republic as both a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de la SEC del estado de Veracruz and Jazz entre Tres. He also has taught music in Tlaxcala, UDLA (University of the Americas) in Cholula, Puebla and at the University of Veracruz in Xalpa,Veracruz where he resided for three years. While there he played classical, jazz, nueva trova, and learned the basics of son. Also his collaboration with the contemporary theatre group ¡Publik! allowed him to tour México and represent that nation in 1997 in Cuba. In 1999 this bassist moved to Chicago where he has been on the scene with several different artists. He founded La Tira, an international dance band that enjoyed success on several radio and DJ charts across the world. He has shared the stage with Lila Downs, Ismael Miranda, Von Freeman, Mauricio “hUESO” Diaz, and recorded with Nicholas Payton, La Tira, and several other projects. His experience has taken him across the United States, México , Cuba ,Taiwan ,Saudi Arabia, France, Holland and Spain.
La Tira El Corillo