Summary
Graduate of Manhattan School of Music's Jazz Masters Program with support from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Scottish International Educational Trust, Holywood Trust.
First Class Honours in Jazz from Birmingham Conservatoire.
Performed with Les Paul, Will Vinson, Ben Wendel, Dan Weiss Trio, Kenny Wollesen's 'Wollesonic'.
Finalist, BBC Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year 2009.
Scottish Finalist, Pizza Express Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2004.
Winner, Edinburgh Jazz Festival Jam Competition 2006.
Studied with: David Liebman, Donny McCaslin, Steve Wilson, George Garzone, Phil Markowitz, Jim McNeely, Garry Dial, Jamie Baum, Jean Toussaint, Julian Siegel, Mike Williams, Hans Koller, Phil Robson.
Founder of 'Dumfries Jazz Clamjamphrie'.
Notabel Overseas Performances include: Le Poisson Rouge, The Iridium, New York; Club 80, Brussels; STUK, Leuven; Badcuyp and Cafe Alto, Amsterdam.
UK performances include Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Lockerbie Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz at the Jam House, Loop Collective at The Oxford, London.
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Biography
"Quite a talent...One of the rising stars of the UK Jazz scene" - Stephen Duffy, BBC Radio Scotland
New York saxophonist and composer Ben Bryden is a rising star in improvised music whose work is recognized in Europe and the US. A graduate of the world renowned Master of Jazz programme at Manhattan School of Music (with support from the Countess of Munster Trust, SIET and Holywood Trust) Ben has studied with the likes of George Garzone, Steve Wilson, Donny McCaslin, Dave Liebman, Phil Markowitz, Garry Dial, Jamie Baum and Jim McNeely.
Co-leader of the multinational New York based band 'Bright Noise', the group released their self titled EP as part of a transatlantic tour in 2011 which featured special guests Will Vinson and Ben Wendel (you can hear samples from and buy a copy of the Bright Noise EP on the Bright Noise page...)
2011 also saw the release of a second recording: '1957 Flying Scot' - a 15 piece suite in collaboration with Scots Poet Rab Wilson, which BBC Radio Scotland's 'Jazz House' called "The most delightful artifact". Published by the award winning Roncadora Press, the hand-made artist's book and double CD is available in the '1957 Flying Scot' page.
In recent years, Ben has performed and recorded throughout the US and Europe, most notably with his own projects 'Bright Noise' and the 'Ben Bryden Quartet' but also with guitarist Reinier Baas in the Netherlands, Kenny Wollesen's 'Wollesonics' and 'Himalayas' in New York as well as making guest appearances with the Dan Weiss Trio and with the legendary Les Paul in New York in 2008. Other notable appearances include Le Poisson Rouge, New York; Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Glasgow Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Lockerbie Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz at the Jam House, Loop Collective at The Oxford, London; Club 80, Brussels; STUK, Leuven; Badcuyp and Cafe Alto, Amsterdam.
In the UK Ben has also appeared alongside Laura MacDonald, Colin Steele, Brian Keddie, Neil Yates, Konrad Wiszniewski, Tony Levin and legendary comedian Russ Abbot.
A 'Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year 2010' finalist, Ben has also been a 'Pizza Express Young Jazz Musician of the Year' Scottish Finalist in 2004 and the winner of the 2006 Edinburgh Jazz Festival Jam Competition.
Ben began playing saxophone at age 12 as part of Dumfries Youth Jazz Group and at 15 began studying with one of Scotland's foremost saxophonists, Laura MacDonald. An alumni of both the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, Ben also featured on the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra's critically acclaimed 2007 release 'Explorations' with special guest, the world renowned vibraphonist Joe Locke.
The first saxophonist to achieve a First Class degree in jazz from Birmingham Conservatoire, while in the UK, Ben has had the pleasure to learn from some fantastic musicians - Mike Williams, Julian Siegel, Jean Toussaint, Hans Koller, Liam Noble and Phil Robson to name but a few.
Ben is also the founder of the Dumfries Jazz Clamjamphrie, a fresh sounding jazz festival aimed at engaging young people in the genre through performances and workshops. The festival has in the past featured Bobby Wellins, Ari Hoenig, Gilad Hekselman, Laura MacDonald and Phil Bancroft.
Quotes:
"Well-defined, tightly executed compositions" - Rob Adams, The Herald
"Quite a talent...One of the rising stars of the UK Jazz scene" - Stephen Duffy, BBC Radio Scotland
"A triumph!" BBC Radio Scotland on Glasgow Jazz Festival 2007 'Homegrown' performance.
"Deep Jazz Respect" - Edinburgh Jazz Festival.
"Intricate arrangements and great solos" Tony Dudley-Evans, Birmingham Jazz.
"Hot and fast rising sax player with a dynamite band" - Bill Kyle, The Jazz Bar.
"(I) enjoyed his playing with and writing for a sextet and set up a gig for the group at one of Birmingham Jazz's top venues. It was an impressive gig!"
Tony Dudley-Evans, Artistic Director Cheltenham International Jazz Festival & Birmingham Jazz
"The two-tenor frontline has a long and honourable lineage in jazz. Ben Bryden's band Bright Noise, in which he shares horn duties with Belgian tenor player Steven Delannoye is a fine addition to that tradition". 'Byas'd opinion' - byased.wordpress.com
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