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Biography
Born in the tiny town of Hiram, Maine and graduated in 2006 with a degree in Music Technology from McGill University in Montreal, Ben Hammond has been touring and playing festivals (including the Montreal Jazz Festival) and venues (Montreal’s Sala Rossa and Metropolis, Antifolk in New York City, many more). Recent appearances and activities have ranged from tours of his home in rural New England to across the world in New Zealand, composing original songs, and most recently completing his full length studio album “[Reasonably] Honest” with full band and Downbeat Magazine award winning mixer Reuben Ghose. Schooled in jazz, raised on rock, immersed in soul, and fascinated with music the world over, Ben can just as easily be found strumming and singing a ballad as he can live looping an a cappella improvisation of Tuvan throat singing, beatboxing, and harmonized scatting. When performing his composed material, either as a soloist or with his quartet, the music features Ben’s engaging, soulful vocals weaved within a framework of genre-shifting instrumentation which provides a platform for contemplative, understated lyrics.

Instrumentation
--solo--
Ben Hammond - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals/Beatboxing, Occasional Live Looping.
--when performing with band--
Nico Dann - Drums
Dan Fortin - Bass
Gabe Nespoli - Keys

Discography
- "No History Session EP" - 2006, featured on Boston Radio Station 95.9 fm (WATD), played on WMWV 93.5FM in North  Conway,  NH.
- "[Reasonably] Honest" - Brand new album released March 2008, already slotted for airplay on 89.3FM (WHSN Bangor, ME), 91.3FM (WUNH Durham, NH), 91.1FM (WMUA Amherst, MA), 89.5FM (CIUT U of Toronto), 90.3FM (CKUT Montreal) IndieTalent.ca Web Radio, Martha’s Vineyard Web Radio (mvyradio.com)
- Guest on Renee Lee “Maple Groove” 2004 – Justin Time Records
- Effusion A Cappella “Unrestrained” 2006
- Effusion A Cappella “Movin’ Away” 2002


Links
http://www.benhammondmusic.com

[Reasonably] Honest Review by Darryl Gregory
Indie-Music.com
So any singer-songwriter that owns, knows how to u...
So any singer-songwriter that owns, knows how to use, and then puts on their CD the Theremin has got my attention. Even if it is for only one track, it piqued my interest, and as I scanned down the page I noticed that this singer-songwriter does a lot more than just play guitar; he beat boxes, circuit bends and writes damned good songs.

The writer in question is Ben Hammond and his new CD, [Reasonably] Honest, has ten tracks that weave in and out of jazz, rock, reggae, rap and pop while staying true to a sound that is definitely Ben Hammond. Hammond sounds, vocally, like Jamie Cullum and John Mayer and has a bouncy guitar style with great backbeats that remind me of Jack Johnson. The thing that sets him apart from those guys is his ability to blur the line between jazz, pop and hip-hop and do it so that it doesn’t sound forced. When I was reading Hammond's press release and got to the part about his beat boxing, I groaned, but when I listened I was truly impressed at how he fits it in and makes it sound like it belongs.

The songs on this CD are of the usual variety relationship-I want you, You Want Me-I’m confused, Please help me- type of songs. That’s OK, and what makes it OK is the music and grooves that keep you listening. The first track, “Let’s Get Alone” starts off with a groovy acoustic guitar riff and has a well placed rap-verse in the middle done up well by Kweku Sam Kwofie. “It’s OK” is a solo track with just voice and guitar that gives the listener an insight to the live sound of Ben Hammond. “Touch” is a track that does not allow you to sit still and uses Hammond’s beat boxing and some beats and sounds that reminded me of Stevie Wonder.

Ben Hammond seems to be on the edge of all the latest musical trends like circuit bending and beat boxing, yet it is all brought back into the traditional forms of jazz and pop and delivered with expertise. Go out and get this disk.

By Darryl Gregory