Ben Clifton's Debut Album

Bruce Von Stiers

Ben Clifton is a multi-instrumentalist, pianist and composer. Although he is based in Houston, Texas, Ben draws a lot of inspiration from his upbringing in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He has performed with artists such as Andre Hayward and Shelley Carrol. And he has made appearances at events such as the Texas Jazz Festival and the Houston Jazz Festival.

Ben recently released his debut album titled Overlook. It has fourteen songs and a play time of an hour and twelve minutes.

On the album, Ben plays piano, keyboards and Hammond B3.

Helping Ben out on the album are several noted artists.

Chad Wesselkamper was on acoustic bass. He is a member of the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame and has performed with such greats as the Eagles. Nicco Martinez was on electric bass and co-writer for one song. He is the leader of Jazz Fusion.

Gavin Moolchan was the drummer on the album. He studied with Sebastian Whitaker and performed with Frank Lacy and Paul Cornigh. Mark Simmons was on drums for one song. He has played drums for Al Jarreau and Melvin Johnson. Johnathan Hulett played drums and co-writer for one song. His album Anthem was released on vinyl earlier this year. And Charlie Perez did percussion on one song. He performed with John Legend and Juanes .

Nicoya Polar was the vocalist and co-writer for one song. She is often paired with Robbie Madison at Houston area jazz venues. Kelly Doyle played electric guitar for one song. He has toured as sideman for artists such as Robert Ellis. John Calderon was also on electric guitar for one song. He played for Bobby Lyle and Regina Belle and spent ten years playing for Al Jarreau.

Cliff Gordon played tenor saxophone. He had a well-received album, Stylings. Jalen Baker was on vibraphone He has played with notables such as Jeremy Pelt.

One of the songs has an orchestral sound to it. For that song, there was Emily Zelaya on violin. She is a composer as well as an actor and violinist. Mario Zelaya was on violin. He has worked with Kathleen Battle and with the rock band Kansas for their “There's No Place Like Home” concert. Shayna Powers was on viola. She performs at a variety of musical events, including operas, ballets and orchestras throughout Texas. Aimee Norris played cello. She has worked with groups such as the Robby Seay Band and artists such as Mason Ashley. And Arthur Moyler did the string arrangement for the song. He has worked with groups such as Blackstreet.

Convocation opens the album. It is a fairly fast paced tune at first that brings Ben's piano playing into strong focus. Then the song slows down for a little bit and has cool keyboards.

Shadows has Ben providing a strong piano backdrop for fantastic vocals by Nicoya Polar.

No Access to Hollywood is a short piece, almost a bridge between songs. It has some cool guitar and Hammond B3 sounds.

Serenity was inspired by Ben's personal tragedies and the healing process that he and others have gone through. There is great vibraphone music in front of drums and melodic piano.

Constructs is pretty much a piano solo piece, with just a little bit of brushes and light drum in the background.

Overlook is another great piece that puts Ben's piano out in front. The song's titles comes from an overlook for Ben's hometown of Pittsburg.

Relapse starts out kind of dark, with a bass solo. Then it moves into a mildly uplifting tone with a nice piano solo.

Cortlandt is a song that was improvised throughout its recording. It is a short and very energetic piece.

Lost On Maple is a soft and gentle song that features the orchestral sound that I mentioned earlier.

Return to Sanity is a somber piece with an almost dark tone to it.

Introspection is an interesting solo piano piece.

Dream State starts out slow, kind of sounding introspective, then moves into a more fluid pace. It has nice piano, bass and drums.

Don't Live The Same is a soft and gentle song that ends with a upbeat tempo.

Precious Transition begins with some nice mellow piano and then a light saxophone and guitar melds into the song. It is a melodic tune and a nice way to end the album.

Ben Clifton is a very talented pianist and composer. This debut album, Overlook, should garner him a lot of acclaim and a host of new fans.

To find out more about the album, visit Ben Clifton's official website at www.ben-clifton.com .

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© 2025 Bruce E Von Stiers