Ben Abrahamson is a seasoned guitarist and composer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. An ardent student of the guitar since age 13, Ben’s curiosity has led him to explore various musical genres, including jazz and fingerstyle. His passion for flamenco guitar took him to Barcelona, Spain, where he studied five months under Catalan virtuoso Juan Ramón Caro at Taller de Músics Escuela de Música.
Enticed by Paco de LucÃa’s dazzling fretwork, Ben became consumed by flamenco’s intensity, propulsive rhythm, and evocative power. He studied several years with guitarist Michael Hauser at Macalester College and accompanied dance classes at Zorongo Flamenco before heading to Spain. Ben performs regularly with Hauser’s flamenco troupe A Touch of Spain.
Ben’s compositions fuse the traditional rhythms of flamenco with contemporary harmonies from jazz, fusion, and classical music. His influences range from Spanish virtuosos Paco de LucÃa and Vicente Amigo to jazz artists Miles Davis and Mike Stern to fingerstyle legend Leo Kottke. Ben’s lyrical sound, however, is entirely his own.
Ben has performed solo and with groups throughout the Twin Cities at a variety of venues, including Rossi’s Blue Star, the Loring Pasta Bar, the Artist’s Quarter, the Fine Line, Northrop Auditorium, Hotel Sofitel, Orchestra Hall, the Riverview Cafe, La Bodega Tapas Bar, and the French Press Jazz Cafe. By the age of 14, Ben had recorded and released three self-published, full-length CDs of original compositions. He is currently recording a new album.
Special thanks to longtime teacher and mentor Gary Lee Joyner for his invaluable guidance.
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