Ben Willmott profile picture

Ben Willmott

About Me

Who is Ben Willmott..? known by some as 'the Hat'...

Singer, songwriter, versatile keyboardist (though mostly found playing in the funk jazz groove.. with the occasional healthy shot of latin vibe)... and equally at home on the bass guitar, you will also find me out and about in Southampton strutting my stuff! Say hello! :) ..I'm always looking to collaborate.

Keep an ear out also for Chunk of Funk - a 5 piece funk outfit featuring Simon B on drums, Mike and Kath on saxes, the sensational Mr DQD on guitar, all on backing vocals and myself on lead vocals and bass. We don't just want it to be us that have fun, we want everyone to have fun!!!

Recently I have also joined disco funk outfit Headrush , an 8 piece powerhouse of dancefloor filling proportions.

You can check out past work at my ageing website at benwillmott.com but the most recent tunes are here. The website is being redesigned over the coming weeks."

about the tracks

What Drives You is performed with Chunk of Funk - Simon Burvill on drums, Dave Davidson on guitar, Mike Porter on alto and Kath Waterfield on tenor.

Questions was written as an anti-war protest as an angry young man after Bush II first invaded Iraq. It has since become far and away the most downloaded thing on my site!

Two Weeks is taken from my most recent work and as yet incomplete album.

Boogie Beat is another project of mine featuring my alter ego, the delightfully filthy Mr Size along with his fictional band Dirty Sounds.

November Funk is the most recent track - a bit of late night finger burning... and more representative of current funky stylings.

All writing, playing and production is me!


My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 07/06/2006
Band Website: benwillmott.com
Band Members:

It's me and the electric piano :) ...though keep an ear out for Chunk of Funk - 5 piece funk madness!

For the records - What Drives You is performed with Chunk of Funk (see about the tracks for details) ...and the rest of the tracks are just me! Composed, arranged, played, recorded, sequenced, mixed, produced... and to some degree mastered by Ben Willmott.


Influences: Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, James Brown (and those funky funky JBs), Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Kool and the Gang, The Yellowjackets, Weather Report, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Al Green, Miles Davis, Tania Maria, Bill Withers, Francis 'Rocco' Prestia, Jimmy Smith, Dr John, Chick Corea, Crowded House, Jim Croce, Curtis Mayfield, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Motown, Bob Marley (and that fab sound the Wailers made) ... the list could go on and on and on.
Sounds Like: Ben Willmott ...figures huh?
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

New Track - November Funk

The observant among you may be wondering what the hell i'm doing posting at this time of night / morning!Well...I had a funky time down at the Soul Cellar jam and as is sometimes the case I couldn't s...
Posted by on Wed, 01 Nov 2006 22:11:00 GMT

Talking Heads 2nd July

A big thank you to everyone who turned up... a good few more than I was expecting! I enjoyed myself, and the feedback was good so I hope you all did to.It's onwards and upwards from here...Chunk of F...
Posted by on Sun, 02 Jul 2006 21:46:00 GMT