Member Since: 11/10/2007
Band Website: www.brianbender.com
Influences: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Israel Vibration, Augustus Pablo, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Herbie Mann, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Oum Kalthoum, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rico Rodriguez, Don Drummond, Carlos Santana
Sounds Like:Matisyahu, Fela Kuti, Antibalas, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Oum Kalthoum, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Augustus Pablo, Rico Rodriguez, Don Drummond, Steve Turre, Pharaoh's Daughter, Raquy and the Cavemen, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Putumayo, Mawaal, The Klezmatics, J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Soulive, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Israel Vibration, Herbie Mann
- CD REVIEWS -
“I have received your CDs and they are FANTASTIC!! Everything from the art on the CD jackets to the liner notes to the music on the CDs is first class. I have already scheduled several tracks to use on my music program on WNWR and wnwr.com in Philadelphia. My listeners are in store for a real treat when they hear the fresh and exuberant sound of your music. Your blending of the rhythms and the combination of traditional and new selections makes for a wonderfully varied and delightful listening experience. Thanks for the great new additions to my playlist!!â€
- Barry Reisman
Program Host
WNWR AM 1540
(Philadelphia, USA)
"Love the music…I can’t wait to put them on the JazzXpress playlist. Amazing fusion of genres….YES! YES! YES!"
- Helen Simons
JazzXpress 94.1FM Jazz Radio
(Queensland, Australia)
"On the aptly titled ‘Eyn Velt’ (which means ‘One World’), Brian Bender achieves several landmarks. For one, he gathers some of the greatest Klezmer and non-Klezmer musicians in the world, including trumpeter Frank London and violinist Alicia Svigals of the Klezmatics and the saxophonist Charles Neville of the famed New Orleans group, the Neville Brothers. The dozens of other musicians on hand from all traditions testify to Bender’s universal musical world-view, as does the music they make: World Music with Jewish roots."
- Seth Rogovoy
author of ‘The Essential Klezmer’
Host of “The Klezmer Hour†radio show
"I am the music manager for radio station PBS FM Melbourne Australia. We have just received your wonderful CDs "Urban Jungle" and "Eyn Velt". Certainly two highly stylish CDs, incredibly sublime yet subtle, explorative, with exquisite composition choice and orchestration. These CDs are very passionate and intimate with colorful mood changes all joining together to create a vast musical tapestry of styles. The compositions you have chosen are stunning interpretations accentuated by your playing and by your very talented band, minimalist in nature at times but very rhythmic so as to not distract from the beauty of your playing. Your passion for the music shines through every note played, a truly wonderful partnership. World music-inspired Jazz is one of our most listened to and leading styles here at this station and in this city."
- Peter Merritt
PBS FM (Melbourne, Australia)
CLICK HERE TO SEE A LIST OF INTERNATIONAL RADIO STATIONS PLAYING THESE CDs
Here is a partial list of venues where I have performed:
- FESTIVALS -:
Gathering of the Vibes
      (Red Hook, NY)
Wormtown Music Fest
      (Hadle
y, MA)
Berkshire Music Fest
      (Great
Barrington, MA)
Baia Des Gatos Festival
      (Cape Verde, West Africa)
Vermont Reggae Fest
      (Burli
ngton, VT)
Green River Fest
      (Green
field, MA)
Bloomfield Drum Festival
      (Bloom
field, CT)
Drums Around The World
      (Amher
st, MA)
Hot Summer Nights
      (Amher
st, MA)
Adirondack Music Fest
      (Lyons
dale, NY)
Drumming in the New Millenium Festival
      (Great
Pyramids, Egypt)
Inauguration of President Bill Clinton
      (Washi
ngton, DC)
World Peace and Prayer Day
      (Ameni
a, NY)
Falcoln Ridge Folk Festival
      (Hinsd
ale, MA)
Old Songs Folk Festival
      (Altam
ont, NY)
New England Reggae Festival
      (RI)
Bread and Roses Festival
      (Lawre
nce, MA)
Charlemont Reggae Festival
      (Charl
emont, MA)
New England Folk Festival of the Arts
      (Natic
k, MA)
Cambridge River Festival
      (Cambr
idge, MA)
Camp Kinderland
      (Tolla
nd, MA)
Porter-Phelps Huntington Museum
      (Hadle
y, MA)
Maine Festival
      (Portl
and, ME)
International Festival of Arts and Ideas
      (New Haven, CT)
Reggae Sunsplash
      (Green
sboro, NC)
Greensboro Justice Foundation Festival
      (Green
sboro, NC)
- HAS OPENED UP FOR -:
Maceo Parker
Burning Spear
The Wailers
Israel Vibration
Culture
Lucky Dube
The Itals
Peter, Paul and Mary
Pete Seeger
Jean Richie
Sweet Honey and the Rock
Toots and the Maytals
- CONCERTS -:
Great American Music Hall
      (San Francisco, CA)
National Yiddish Bookcenter
      (Amher
st, MA)
Carnegie Hall
      (New York, NY)
Jordan Hall
      (Bosto
n, MA)
Yung Yiddish
      (Jerus
alem, Israel)
Zeitgeist
      (Bosto
n)
First Night
      (Bosto
n, MA)
First Night
      (North
ampton, MA)
First Night
      (Worce
ster, MA)
First Night
      (Hartf
ord, CT)
Libraries all over New England....
The Towers
      (RI)
Artbank
      (Shelb
urne Falls, MA)
World Peace and Prayer Sanctuary
      (Ameni
a, NY)
The Roxy Theatre
      (Bosto
n, MA)
Workmen’s Circle
      (Phila
delphia, PA)
Eisenhower Park
      (Hemps
tead, NY)
Berkshire Museum
      (Pitts
field, MA)
Claremont Opera House
      (Clare
mont, NH)
Full Moon Coffehouse
      (Wende
ll, MA)
Utica Monday Nights
      (Utica
, NY)
92nd St. YMCA
      (New York, NY)
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
      (Newar
k, NJ)
CLUBS:
Iron Horse
      (North
ampton, MA)
Pearl Street
      (North
ampton, MA)
Johhny D’s
      (Bosto
n, MA)
Club Metronome
      (Burli
ngton, VT)
The Western Front
      (Bosto
n, MA)
Ashkenaz
      (Berke
ley, CA)
The Hotel Utah
      (San Francisco, CA)
The Full Moon Saloon
      (San Francisco, CA)
The Knitting Factory
      (New York, NY)
S.O.B.’s
      (New York, NY)
Satalla
      (New York, NY)
Club Passim
      (Cambr
idge, MA)
The Folkway
      (Peter
borogh, NH)
Café Lena
      (Sarat
oga Springs, NY)
Club Helsinki
      (Great
Barrington, MA)
Fire and Water
      (North
ampton, MA)
CAV Coffehouse
      (Provi
dence, RI)
Tonic
      (New York, NY)
The Empty Glass
      (Charl
otte, NC)
Town Crier
      (Pawli
ng, NY)
- RADIO APPEARANCES -:
Jack Falk’s Radio Hour
      (Portl
and, OR)
Numerous stations in North and South Carolina
UMASS Amherst
WERS
      (Bosto
n, MA)
National Public Radio
      (Chica
go, IL)
      (Inter
viewed about Klezmer Music)
WJCT
      (Jacks
onville, Florida)
WFCR
      (Amher
st, MA) “Valley Folkâ€
WMUA
      (Amher
st, MA)
WAMC
      (Alban
y, NY)
WRSI
      (Green
field, MA)
- COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES -:
Brandeis University
      (Walth
am, MA)
Fitchburg State College
      (Fitch
burg, MA)
Greenfield Community College
      (Green
field, MA)
Hampshire College
      (Amher
st, MA)
Holyoke Community College
      (Holyo
ke, MA)
Lyndonville State College
      (Montp
elier, VT)
Mount Holyoke College
      (South
Hadley, MA)
Northeastern University
      (Bosto
n, MA)
Simon’s Rock College
      (Great
Barrington, MA)
Smith College
      (North
ampton, MA)
UC Berkeley
      (Berke
ley, CA)
UMASS Amherst
      (Amher
st, MA)
Westfield State College
      (Westf
ield, MA)
Quinnipiac College
      (New Haven, CT)
Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO)
Grinnel University (NY)
Landmark College
      (Putne
y, VT)
Wesleyan University
      (Middl
etown, CT)
University of Connecticut
      (Storr
s, CT)
North Adams State College
      (North
Adams, MA)
Western New England College
      (Sprin
gfield, MA)
Dartmouth College
      (Hanov
er, NH)
Princeton University
      (Princ
eton, NJ)
Franklin Pierce College
      (Rindg
e, NH)
School for International Training
      (Bratt
leboro, VT)
Berkshire Community College
      (Pitts
field, MA)
University of Iowa at Iowa City
Guilford College
- SCHOOLS/CAMPS -:
Williston-Northampton School
      (Easth
ampton, MA)
Suffield Academy
      (Suffi
eld, CT)
Berkshire Hills Music Academy
      (South
Hadley, MA)
Deerfield Academy
      (Deerf
ield, MA)
The Putney School
      (Putne
y, VT)
Northfield Mount Hermon
      (North
field, MA)
Erving Elementary School
      (Ervin
g, MA)
Jackson Street School
      (North
ampton, MA)
Camp Kinderland
      (Tolla
nd, MA)
- COMMUNITY CENTERS -:
JCC Springfield, MA
JCC Jacksonville, FL
JCC New Haven, CT
JCC Newton, MA
JCC Portland, OR
JCC Iowa
JCC Omaha, Nebraska
JCC Allentown, PA
Record Label: Face The Music
Type of Label: Indie