Ben Perowsky (born May 12, 1966) is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, and music producer. He is the drummer on stage in the 8

TONY award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

winning Broadway musical Hadestown. Perowsky leads the Ben Perowsky Trio, Moodswing Orchestra and Upstream Trio with

Chris Speed Chris Speed (born February 12, 1967) is an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. Early life and career Speed grew up outside of Seattle and studied classical piano and clarinet from an early age. He later began studying jazz, took up ...

and

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

. He is a founding member of the electric jazz group Lost Tribe. A prolific sideman, Perowsky has performed with

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at ...

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

The Lounge Lizards The Lounge Lizards were an eclectic musical group founded by saxophonist John Lurie and his brother, pianist Evan Lurie, in 1978. Initially known for their ironic, tongue-in-cheek take on jazz, The Lounge Lizards eventually became a showcase f ...

Joan As Police Woman Joan Wasser (born July 26, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, a ...

, Elysian Fields,

Darryl Jenifer Darryl Jenifer (born October 22, 1960) is an American musician, widely known as the bassist for the hardcore punk band Bad Brains and for the rap-rock group The White Mandingos. He appeared in ''TV's Illest Minority Moments presented by ego tri ...

Uri Caine Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early years The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, and poet Shulamith Wechter Caine, Caine began p ...

, Dave Douglas,

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

Bob Berg Robert Berg (April 7, 1951 – December 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Berg was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Berg started his musical education at the age of six when he began studying classical piano. He be ...

Walter Becker Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan.Russonello, Giovanni,Listen t ...

, Steven Bernstein., and

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

Early life and education

Ben Perowsky was born and raised in

NYC New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to jazz musician Frank Perowsky and modern dancer Ginger Perowsky. His main drum teacher was his father’s

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

classmate, friend and neighbor

Bobby Thomas Robert, Rob, Bob, or Bobby Thomas may refer to: Arts * Robert Thomas (director) (1927–1989), French writer, actor and director * Robert Thomas (sculptor) (1926–1999), Welsh sculptor * Robert Thomas Jr., American jazz percussionist and hand d ...

. Ben graduated from The High School of Music and Art in Harlem in 1984 where he played in the jazz band under the direction of Justin DiCiccio. Ben performed with jazz legend

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

in DiCiccio's tri-state band on the

Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 a ...

. He attended The Berklee School of Music from 1986 to 1987. While living in Boston he studied privately with drummer

Alan Dawson Alan Dawson (July 14, 1929 – February 23, 1996) was an American jazz drummer and percussion teacher based in Boston. Biography Dawson was born in Marietta, Pennsylvania and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Serving in the U.S. Army during th ...

. Perowsky also studied music at

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory in New York City. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition, as well as a bachelor's in mu ...

and

Banff School of Fine Arts Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

Career

Late 1980s-1990s

Towards the end of 1986 Perowsky began work with an array of artists such as James Moody,

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...

David Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a N ...

and

Richie Beirach Richard Alan Beirach (born 23 May 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Beirach was born in New York City. He initially studied both classical music and jazz. While still attending high school, he took lessons from pianist L ...

. He joined

, performing with Ayers and backing artists such as

Lonnie Liston Smith Lonnie Liston Smith Jr. (born December 28, 1940) is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with such jazz artists as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of ...

and

Bobbi Humphrey Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Humphrey (born April 25, 1950) is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays jazz fusion, funk, and soul-jazz. She has recorded twelve albums and founded the jazz label Paradise Sounds Records. In 1971, she was the first f ...

. His first appearance with Ayers was documented in ''Live at Ronnie Scott’s''. He toured in the

Trio from 1990 to 1993 appearing on 4 recordings. He also appeared with and recorded thru the 1990s with

David Kikoski Dave Kikoski (born September 29, 1961) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist. Biography Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, ...

Jim Beard James Arthur Beard (born August 26, 1960 in Philadelphia) is an American jazz pianist and keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer who has worked with Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Dennis Chambers a ...

Ronnie Cuber Ronald Edward Cuber (December 25, 1941 – October 7, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. He also played in Latin, pop, rock, and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he played tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet ...

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian jazz pianist, sin ...

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

, Dave Douglas,

Jimmy Scott James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. After ...

and

Mike Mainieri Michael T. Mainieri Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American vibraphonist, known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead. He is married to the singer-songwriter and harpist Dee Carstensen. Biography Mainieri was born in The Bronx, Ne ...

’s

Steps Ahead Steps Ahead is an American jazz fusion group. History The group arose out of spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, a jazz club in New York City owned by saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter brother Randy Brecker. The first three al ...

. At the same time Perowsky became a mainstay on NYC's “downtown scene”, working with artists

Marc Ribot Marc Ribot (; born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer. His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wait ...

, Spanish Fly ( Steven Bernstein,

Marcus Rojas Marcus Rojas (born February 23, 1963) is an American Tuba, tubist from New York City. Early life Rojas was born in New York City on February 23, 1963, and grew up in Red Hook, Brooklyn. His early influences included Eddie Palmieri, Willie Coló ...

David Tronzo David Tronzo (born 1957) is an American guitarist, best known for his innovation of pairing the techniques of electric slide guitar with the genres of bebop, modern jazz, rock, downtown music, and experimental music. He has recorded with former D ...

), The Fertile Crescent (

Erik Sanko Erik Sanko (born 27 September 1963) is a bass player from New York who has played in The Lounge Lizards and currently active in Skeleton Key. Biography In the past he also worked with notable musicians including Marc Ribot, John Cale, Yoko Ono, Su ...

, and

Danny Blume Danny Blume is an American music producer, musician, and composer. He is a Grammy Award winner and multiple Grammy nominee. He operates a studio and lives in Woodstock, New York. Before becoming a music producer, he played as a guitarist and bass ...

Wayne Horvitz Wayne Horvitz (born 1955) is an American composer, keyboardist and record producer. He came to prominence in the Downtown scene of 1980s and '90s New York City, where he met his future wife, the singer, songwriter and pianist Robin Holcomb. He ...

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styl ...

and

Don Byron Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer. Biography His mother w ...

. He also played percussion in

John Lurie John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American musician, painter, actor, director, and producer. He co-founded the Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble; has acted in 19 films, including '' Stranger than Paradise'' and '' Down by Law''; has composed ...

with whom he recorded ''Queen of All Ears'', featured in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series ''Painting With John''. In 1988 Ben formed Lost Tribe with High School friends Adam Rogers and Fima Ephron. Later adding saxophonist

David Binney David Binney (born August 2, 1961) is an American alto saxophonist and composer. Early life Binney was born in Miami, Florida, and was raised in Carpinteria, California. From his parents, who loved music, he was exposed to albums by John C ...

and guitarist

David Gilmore David Gilmore (born 5 February 1964) is an American jazz guitarist. Gilmore studied at New York University with Joe Lovano and Jim McNeely. In 1987 he began working professionally with the M-Base Collective and Ronald Shannon Jackson. In the 1 ...

. Upon meeting producer,

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

co-leader Walter Becker in 1991, they were invited to record at Hyperbolic Sound in Maui, Hawaii. Lost Tribe released 3 critically acclaimed records and toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe. Perowsky joined the songwriters

Oren Bloedow Oren Bloedow (born July 3, 1965) is an American singer, guitarist and bassist. He founded the band Elysian Fields in 1995 with Jennifer Charles. His father, Jerry Bloedow, was a playwright, poet, and film editor whose theater, the Hardware Poe ...

and

Jennifer Charles Jennifer Charles (born Jennifer Asher Zipken; November 15, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, writer, and actor. Along with Oren Bloedow, she co-founded the New York band Elysian Fields. Her work is known for its emotional intensity ...

new band Elysian Fields in 1995. Between 1995 - 2008 he performed with Elysian Fields on 10 albums, multiple tours and radio appearances. In the mid-1990s guitarist and producer

began a series called Liminal Lounge with

DJ Olive DJ Olive (also known as The Audio Janitor; born Gregor Asch) is an American disc jockey and turntablist. He is known for producing music generally in the electronic genre, with strong influences of dub, and free improvisation styles. He is wide ...

, spawning an electronica band called Liminal in which Perowsky played live and recorded with Christian Castagno. In 1999 he released Ben Perowsky ''Trio'' with

and Scott Colley. Their recording of

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

's ''Segment'' was used for a pivotal scene in the 2006 film ''

Talladega Nights ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay who co-wrote the film with Will Ferrell. It features Ferrell as the titular Ricky Bobby, an immature yet successful NASCAR driver. The f ...

''. The same year he recorded with

for his album ''Play'' with guests

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist, composer and arranger. Frisell first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts ...

and

2000s

Throughout 2000 Perowsky toured extensively with John Scofield's band. He began touring and recording with pianist Uri Caine’s trio and various ensembles in 2000 up to the present. A record titled ''Live At The Village Vanguard'' was released in 2004. Perowsky established his label El Destructo Records in 2002. ''El Destructo: Volume I'' was created through a series billed as "Beatshop" early that winter. "Beatshop" served as the workshop for a sound Perowsky was developing with Glen Patscha and Markus Lyons Miller. It was a blending of slow dub style improv with dark ambience and sparse vocals. ''El Destructo: Volume II Moodswing Orchestra'' (2009) expanded on this idea with the addition of four instrumentalists and five vocalists. In 2002 Ben began playing with songwriter

Joan Wasser Joan Wasser (born July 26, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, a ...

in duo. Later they were joined by Rainy Orteca on bass forming

Joan as Police Woman Joan Wasser (born July 26, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, a ...

. An EP was recorded with producer

Bryce Goggin Bryce Goggin is an American record producer and sound engineer. His career began in the early 1990s, working at Baby Monster Studios. He first received note for mixing the album ''Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'' by Pavement. He has since worked with ...

in 2004. ''Real Life'' (2006) was met with much success in the US, UK and Europe with extensive touring, TV, radio and festival appearances. Ben also appears in the video for the song "Eternal Flame" and on the records ''To Survive'', ''Cover'' and ''Joanthology''. In 2003, Perowsky produced ''Bop on Pop'' for his father Frank with

Sam Yahel Sam Yahel (born 1971) is a jazz pianist and Hammond organist. In 1990 he moved to New York City and worked with Bill Frisell, Wycliffe Gordon, Ryan Kisor, Maceo Parker, Madeleine Peyroux, and Joshua Redman. Discography As leader/co-leader * '' ...

on organ. Also in 2003, he produced the album ''Camp Songs'' for

Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...

. It was voted one of the top 50 CDs of 2003 by ''JazzTimes'' magazine. The Ben Perowsky Quartet with Chris Speed, Ted Reichman, and

Drew Gress Drew Gress (born November 20, 1959) is an American jazz double-bassist and composer born in Trenton, New Jersey and raised in the Philadelphia area. Biography Gress studied at Towson State University and Manhattan School of Music. In the late 1 ...

toured in Europe in 2005. Skirl released ''Esopus Opus'' in 2009. Perowsky played drums on the 2008 UK hit single "Blind" by the band

Hercules and Love Affair Hercules and Love Affair is a dance music project created by American DJ, singer, composer, musician and producer Andy Butler in 2004. Consisting of a rotating cast of performers and musicians, the band work within the genres of house music, dis ...

written and sung by Anohni.

2010s-present

Ben joined

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

’s band in 2012 for extensive touring in the US, Europe and Australia, releasing the ''Live from the Artist's Den'' (2014) and appearing on The

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...

Show,

Conan O’Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows for almost 28 years, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' (19 ...

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comedy ...

and

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

. In 2014 Perowsky produced the Woodstock Jazz Festival with Liz Penta and

WDST WDST (100.1 MHz), branded as "Radio Woodstock 100.1", is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Woodstock, New York, and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. Radio Woodstock is known as a progressive station that was at the forefront of both the mo ...

radio in

Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 2000 ...

. Ben produced and played drums on ''An Afternoon In Gowanus'', the Frank Perowsky Big Band debut album, released in 2017. Between 2005 and 2017 Ben played on 2 releases for

Jamie Saft Jamie Saft is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was born in New York City, and studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private mu ...

trio and toured in Europe, Japan and South America. Together they play with

bassist and founder of Bad Brains’ solo project which debuted in 2017. In 2016 Ben joined the band for the Off Broadway musical production of Anais Mitchel’s Hadestown. He helped create and define all the drum and percussion parts for the score at the New York Theatre Workshop, further developing the parts for the Broadway production starting in March 2019 at the Walter Kerr Theater. Both productions released cast recordings; the Broadway version winning a 2020

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Musical Theater album. At the 73rd

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

, Hadestown received a total of 14 nominations and won eight of them, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Ben performed with the band and cast on the Tony Awards,

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

CBS This Morning ''CBS This Morning'' (''CTM'') is an American morning television program that aired on CBS from November 30, 1987, to October 29, 1999, and again from January 9, 2012, to September 6, 2021. The program was aired from Monday through Saturday. ...

Live with Kelly and Michael ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...

and NPR’s

Tiny Desk Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thom ...

. Perowsky was house drummer for a number of producer

Hal Willner Hal Willner (April 6, 1956 – April 7, 2020) was an American music producer working in recording, films, television, and live events. He was best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical sty ...

productions between 2001 and 2019 including the tribute to Hal himself at Roulette in NYC. Others included

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

Tribute, American Standards Gershwin, Freedom Rides, and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

backing artists such as

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

James Blood Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "ragge ...

David Johansen David Roger Johansen (sometimes spelled ''David Jo Hansen''; born January 9, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under ...

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

, Rufus Wainwright, Mark Anthony Thompson and

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' and for his ...

. Ben contracted the jazz quartet for composer Fabrice Lecompte’s recording sessions for the 2020 released motion picture and soundtrack ''Sylvie’s Love'' directed and conceived by his elementary school friend Eugene Ashe ''Upstream'' with Chris Speed and John Medeski (recorded in 2014) was released late in 2019 on Ben’s label El Destructo Records.

Awards and honors

''Camp Songs'' selected in JazzTimes Top 50 CD's of 2003 Perowsky/Medeski/Speed's ''Upstream'' selected as one of the Top Jazz Albums of 2020 by Jazziz Magazine and Slate.

Discography

As leader

* ''Ben Perowsky Trio'' (Jazz Key, 1999) * ''Bop on Pop'' with Frank Perowsky, Sam Yahel (Jazz Key, 2002) * ''El Destructo Volume 1'' with Markus Miller, Glen Patscha (El Destructo, 2002) * ''Camp Songs'' (

, 2003) * ''Moodswing Orchestra'' (El Destructo, 2009) * ''Esopus Opus'' (Skirl, 2009) * ''Upstream'' (El Destructo, 2020) with Lost Tribe * ''Lost Tribe'' (

Windham Hill Windham Hill Records was an independent record label that specialized in instrumental acoustic music. It was founded by guitarist William Ackerman and Anne Robinson (née McGilvray) in 1976 and was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The label was ...

, 1993) * ''Soulfish'' (High Street, 1994) * ''Many Lifetimes'' (

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

, 1998)

As sideman

with Elysian Fields * ''Elysian Fields'' (1996) * ''Bleed Your Cedar'' (1996) * ''Clinical Trial'' (1997) * ''Queen of the Meadow'' (2000) * ''Bend Your Mind'' (2000) * ''Dreams That Breath Your Name'' (2003) * ''Last Night on Earth'' (2011) * ''For House Cats and Sea Fans'' (2014) * ''Ghosts of No'' (2016) with Joan as Police Woman * ''Joan As Policewoman'' (2004) * ''Real Life'' (2007) * ''To Survive'' (2008) * ''Cover'' (2009) * ''Joanthology'' (2019) with Mike Stern * ''Odds or Evens'' (1991) * ''Standards'' (1992) * ''Is What It Is'' (1994) * ''Play'' (1999) with John Zorn * ''Live at the Knitting Factory'' (1995) * ''Unknown Masada''(2003) * ''The Stone: Issue One'' (2005) * ''Alhambra Love Songs'' (2009) * ''In Search of the Miraculous'' (2010) * ''The Goddess'' (2010) with Uri Caine * ''The Sidewalks of New York'' (1999) * Uri Caine/

, ''Great Jewish Music: Sasha Argov'' (2003) * Uri Caine/Drew Gress, ''Voices in the Wilderness'' (2003) * ''Live at the Village Vanguard'' (2004) * ''Siren'' (2011) * ''Poem of a Cell, Vol. 1: The Song of Songs'' (2018) with Steven Bernstein * ''Millennial Territory Orchestra Volume 1'' (2006) * ''We Are MTO'' (2008) * ''MTO plays Sly'' (2011) with Dave Douglas * ''Magic Triangle'' (1998) * ''Live at Birdland'' (1999) * ''Leap of Faith'' (2000) with Hercules in Love Affair * ''Hercules & Love Affair'' (2008) * ''Blind 2' (2008) * ''Blind 1' (2008) * ''Blind'' (2008) selected recordings * Roy Ayers, ''Fast Money'' (1988) *

Chris Minh Doky Chris Minh Doky (born 7 February 1969) is a Vietnamese- Danish jazz bassist. He is the younger brother of jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky. He released his first album, ''Appreciation'', in 1989 four years after picking up the instrument. As a si ...

, ''Appreciation'' (1989) * Bob Berg, ''Backroads'' (1991) * Jim Beard, ''Song of the Sun'' (1991) *

, ''Persistent Dreams'' (1992) *

Ralph Bowen Ralph Bowen (born December 24, 1961) is a Canadian jazz saxophonist. Biography Bowen started piano lessons at an early age, with clarinet and saxophone lessons following soon after. At thirteen he led a quartet and performed in big bands in Tor ...

, ''Movin' On'' (1992) * Ronnie Cuber, ''Airplay'' (1992) * Ronnie Cuber, ''Cubism'' (1992) * Spanish Fly, ''Rags to Britches'' (1992) * The Fertile Crescent, ''The Fertile Crescent'' (1992) * John Cale and

Bob Neuwirth Robert John Neuwirth (June 20, 1939May 18, 2022) was an American folk singer, songwriter, record producer, and visual artist. He was noted for being the road manager and associate of Bob Dylan, as well as the co-writer of Janis Joplin's hit so ...

, ''Last Day on Earth'' (1994) * Walter Becker, ''11 Tracks of Whack'' (1994) *

Charles & Eddie Charles & Eddie were an American soul music duo composed of Charles Pettigrew and Eddie Chacon. Their single " Would I Lie to You?", taken from their 1992 debut album, ''Duophonic'', won Ivor Novello Awards in 1993 in the Best Contemporary Song, ...

, ''

Chocolate Milk Chocolate milk is a type of flavoured milk made by mixing cocoa solids with milk (either dairy or plant-based). It is a food pairing in which the milk's mouthfeel masks the dietary fibres of the cocoa solids. Types The liquid carbohydrate ...

'' (1995) * Rez Abbizi, ''Third Ear'' (1995) *

, ''Yo! Hey!'' (1996) * Spanish Fly, ''Fly by Night'' (1996) * John Cale, ''Walking on Locusts'' (1996) *

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

, ''All Sides Now'' (1997) *

Robert Dick Robert Dick (January 1811 – 24 December 1866), was a Scottish geologist and botanist. Life He was born at Tullibody, in Clackmannanshire. His father was an officer of excise in nearby Alloa. At the age of thirteen, after receiving a good ...

, ''Jazz Standards on Mars'' (1997) * Hal Wilner, ''Closed on Account of Rabies: Tales of Edgar Allan Poe'' (1997) * Frank London, ''Debt'' (1997) * Liminal, ''Pre-set'' (1997) * The Whistling Hangmen, ''Barhopping'' (1998) * The Lounge Lizards, ''Queen of All Ears'' (1998) *

Evan Lurie Evan is both an English and Welsh male given name derived from "Iefan", a Welsh form for the name John. In other languages it could be compared to " Ivan", " Ian", and " Juan"; the name John itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Yəhô� ...

, ''How I Spent My Summer Vacation'' (1998) *

Giora Feidman Giora Feidman ( he, גיורא פיידמן; born 25 March 1936) is an Argentine-born Israeli clarinetist who specializes in klezmer music. Biography Giora Feidman was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his Bessarabian Jewish parents immigra ...

, ''Gershwin & The Klezmer'' (1998) *

Salif Keita Salif Keïta () (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali. Biography Early life Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village o ...

, ''Papa'' (1999) * Chris Speed, ''Iffy'' (2000) *

Roy Nathanson Roy Jay Nathanson (born May 17, 1951) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader, actor and teacher. He became the leader and principal composer of the Jazz Passengers, a six piece group that he founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. They have ...

, ''Fire at Keaton's Bar & Grill'' (2000) * Oren Bloedow and Jennifer Charles, ''La Mar Enfortuna'' (2001) *

Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (born September 28, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Akron, Ohio. He is best known for his solo material, and as a member of Fistful of Mercy and RNDM. Arthur has built his reputation over the years through c ...

, ''Redemption's Son'' (2002) * Tonic, ''Live at Tonic'' (2002) *

Raz Mesinai Raz Mesinai (born 1973) is an American record producer, musician, composer, artist, writer and educator from New York City. He has released recordings since 1989 under the monikers Badawi, Sub Dub, Ghost Producer, Psy Co., and Raz Mesinai and is t ...

, ''Clones and False Prophets'' (2003) *

Chihiro Yamanaka is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer, born in Kiryū, Gunma Prefecture."Chihiro Yamanaka BiographyAllMusic/ref> As of 2012, she was based in New York City. She has had more than a dozen albums as a leader, most of them being released by Verve ...

, ''Leaning Forward'' (2003) * Josh Roseman Unit, ''Treats for the Nightwalker'' (2003) * Kaki King, ''Legs to Make Us Longer'' (2004) * Tom McIntosh, ''With Malice Toward None'' (2004) * Jacob do Bandolim, Great Jewish Music: Jacob do Bandolim (2004) * Adam Niewood, ''Introducing Adam Niewood'' (2004) * Eyal Maoz, ''Edom'' (2005) * Misha Mengelberg, ''Senne Sing Sing'' (2005) * Jamie Saft, ''Astaroth: Book of Angels Volume 1'' (2005) * Clem Snide, ''End of Love'' (2005) * Misha Mengelberg, ''Senne Sing Song'' (2005) * Baby Loves Jazz Band, ''Baby Loves Jazz: Go Baby Go!'' (2006) * Ada Rovatti, ''Airbop ''(2006) * Jamie Saft, ''Trouble'' (2006) * Dave Derby, ''And the Norfolk Downs'' (2006) * Trey Anastasio, ''Bar 17'' (2006) * Adam Levy, ''Loose Rhymes'' (2006) * Patrizia Laquidara, ''Funambola'' (2007) * Nels Andrews, ''Off Track Betting'' (2007) * Lizz Wright, ''The Orchard'' (2008) * Susi Hyldgaard, ''It's Love We Need'' (2009) * Jim Keller, ''Sunshine in My Pocket'' (2009) * Loudon Wainwright III, ''High Wide & Handsome'' (2009) * Arif Mardin, ''All My Friends Are Here'' (2010) * Katell Keineg, ''At the Mermaid Parade'' (2010) * Jazz Passengers, ''Reunited'' (2010) * Marcelo Zarvos, ''Brooklyn's Finest'' (2010) * Loudon Wainwright III, ''40 Odd Years'' (2011) * Loudon Wainwright III, ''Older Than My Old Man Now'' (2012) * Iggy Pop, ''Après'' (2012) * 101 Crustaceans, ''Train Bolt Roller'' (2012) * Trixie Whitley, ''Fourth Corner'' (2013) * Ronnie Cuber, ''Live At JazzFest Berlin'' (2013) * Rufus Wainwright, ''Live from the Artist's Den'' (2014) * Anna Calvi, ''Strange Weather'' (2014) * Trixie Whitley, ''Porta Bohemica'' (2016) * Rachael Yamagata, Tightrope Walker (album), Tightrope Walker (2016) * Anaïs Mitchell, ''Why We Build The Wall (Selections from Hadestown). The Myth. The Musical. Live Original Cast Recording'' (2016) * Jazz Passengers, ''Still Life with Trouble'' (2017) * Frank Perowsky Big Band, ''An Afternoon In Gowanus'' (2017) * Michael Franks (musician), Michael Franks, ''The Music in My Head'' (2018) * Anaïs Mitchell, ''Original Broadway Cast of Hadestown'' (2019) * Fabrice Lecomte, ''Sylvie's Love (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (2020)

Film and TV Scores & Soundtracks

* ''A Brother's Kiss ''(1997) * ''Modulations: Cinema for the Ear ''(Documentary) (1998) * ''State and Main'' (2000) * The Backyardigans, ''The Backyardigans'' (2005) * The Backyardigans, ''Groove to the Music'' (2005) * ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' (2006) * ''What Just Happened '' (2008) * ''Brooklyn's Finest'' (2009) * ''Altman (film), Altman ''(Documentary) (2014) * ''Sylvie's Love'' (2020)

References

*Jason Ankeny, [ Ben Perowsky] at Allmusic

External links

*http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0674471/ *http://perowsky.com/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Perowsky, Ben American jazz drummers Musicians from New York (state) 1966 births Living people Tzadik Records artists The High School of Music & Art alumni 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Lounge Lizards members