Music dump: Benjamin Boone releases first of three Ireland Sessions

Plus, new music from Motel Drive, Arsen Giorgio and Ben Went West.

Sep 15, 2024

Benjamin Boone spent 2022 in residence at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in Limerick, Ireland.

He was there as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar. It was his third go round with the program, which had him in Ghana in 2017-18 and in the the Republic of Moldova in 2005.

In Ghana, Boone co-founded The New Global Ensemble, a collaboration with Ghanaian musicians and the German electro-acoustic violinist Stefan Poetzsch. He also hooked up with the The Ghana Jazz Collective to record, “Joy,” which was released on Origin Records in 2020.

It was one of two records he released that year. Both were well received.

In Ireland, the composer/arranger/jazz saxophonist (and Valley Music Hall of Famer) immersed himself into the Academy and its work, but also with a number of Limerick-area musicians, whom he collaborated with on a trio of albums.

Each had a different set of players working in a different style. The first album, “Confluence,” is out on Friday (pre-orders happening now).

Boone does his full work on “Confluence,” serving as composer/arranger for the nine, mostly instrumental tracks, and also playing saxophone, alongside a group of seven Irish musicians; all working to show the “strong connection between Irish music and jazz.”

Jazz Weekly calls the album “a rich collection of jigs.”

The group is also getting together over the next two weeks for set of live shows (in Ireland, unfortunately). The so-called Confluence Band played tonight in Galway, followed by dates in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

Boone does have a pair of performances slated for Fresno in October (the 20th at Mad Duck with Richard Lloyd Giddens, Craig von Berg and Mark Ferber) and November (the 19th at the Woodward Park Library for his Fresno album release).

Here are some other new releases worth checking out:

Motel Drive, “Jockey Full of Bourbon”

Fresno Rockabilly stalwart Motel Drive released its version of the 1985 Tom Waits tune “Jockey Full of Bourbon,” a song the band has been doing live for awhile now.

The song was recorded at The Rabbit Hole and mostly keeps with Waits’ formula, though with a bit more rockabilly bang (and less of Wait’s signature herky-jerk and breathy vocals).

Arsen Giorgio, “Knock Me A Kiss”

Arsen Giorgio (aka Arsen Roulette) released a new single of his own.

“Knock Me a Kiss,” is a bit of true retro-throwback rockabilly. It’s old song that never got a proper release until now.

On a related note: Goodwin is playing guitar in Giorgio’s new band, which is hitting the road with Motel Drive on so-called San Joaquin Sounds tour. It stops in Fresno, Sept. 29 at Club One Casino.

On another related note: Giorgio is a master leathersmith and shoemaker with his own shop in Fresno. He does great work.

Ben Went West, self-titled debut EP

Ben Bentley is a photographer-turned musician from the UK (York, England) currently living in the Central Valley and making music under the moniker Ben Went West. He released a self-titled EP on Friday.

The songs are five well-produced rock tunes that are definitely on the alt-country spectrum of Americana music. The anchor here is Bentley’s voice, which has a ’90s grungesque whine (hints of Billy Corgan).

Check out this interview with Bentley over at Soundsphere Magazine for more.

Monsters of Metal release party giveaway

If you are at all interested in the Monsters of Metal release party happening on Saturday at the Great Room, you’ll want to tune into the Homegrown show on NewRock 104.1, 8 p.m. tonight.

For one, the show will be debuting Kutie’s new EP in its entirety, plus chatting with the band members about any number of topics, including what exactly what kind of music they play (they’re not 100% sure).

It will also be giving away five pairs of tickets to the show, but you’ll have to tune in for all the gory details.