MP3 Ben Carroll - Real Thing

Amazing soul/folk singer and award winning songwriter gives eleven new songs on longing, strength, dissolution, murder and passion; produced with father Jon Carroll of the Mary Chapin Carpenter band and Starland Vocal Band.

11 MP3 Songs in this album (41:10) !
Related styles: URBAN/R&B: Soul, FOLK: Folk Blues

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Details:
NEW YORK SINGER/SONGWRITER BEN CARROLL RECORDS THE FIRST ALBUM RELEASED ON BLUE CLOUD RECORDS, THE NEWLY FORMED LABEL FROM FOUNDER OF ORCHID CLASSICS


2006 was a good year for Orchid Classics. The plaudits continued to come in for the classical labelâs debut release, produced with the Imperial War Museum, London. Then came the release of the next two albums, âBluesâ and âParisâ, which between them received the Daily Telegraphâs CD of the Week, Classic FMâs CD of the Week, CD of the Month in string music bible The Strad (for each of them), and the label was hailed by Time Out as âshowing the way for classical artistsâ.

So an expansion seemed logical, but not just in the same direction. Orchidâs founder, the highly sought after British violinist Matthew Trusler, had long been interested in creating a separate label to release music of other genres, but had waited for the right opportunity to present itself. When he came across Ben Carrollâs MySpace page, it did.

This, though, wasnât the first time theyâd met. As a student, Trusler spent several years studying at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, the world's smallest and most elite training ground for classical musicians. âOne of my best friends at Curtis was a wonderful violinist who had known and worked with Ben for years, and Ben came and stayed for a weekend. I just remember loving how he sang,â says Matthew. But the two didnât meet again until brought back together by that most modern of musical phenomena, MySpace. âI was checking out my old friendâs page--and there was Ben. I listened to some tracks on his page and thought, thatâs it. Thatâs what I want for the label.â

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Ben was hard at work on his new, second album with his dad Jon Carroll. Born into a thoroughly show-biz family, Carroll is the son of members of the Grammy-winning Starland Vocal Band, best known for their #1 hit Afternoon Delight in 1976. Benâs father Jon was his main collaborator on âReal Thingâ, producing, arranging and performing.

And so, Ben Carroll becomes the first artist on the newly formed Blue Cloud Records. For Matthew the step seemed logical. âFor me itâs about the quality. I think Benâs music is original, itâs heartfelt and very touching, itâs deeply committed and itâs performed fantastically. He even has musicians from Curtis playing on the album--and that doesnât happen very often.â

Ben agrees that the collaborations on the record help to make it what it is. He talks with particular fondness of one track, recorded with the violinist who originally introduced him to Trusler.

âI was lucky enough to get my old, dear friend, Nick Kendall in the studio for one day with my dad and me to work on "My Darling True". I did very little that day. I stepped back and watched my dad and Nick bounce ideas back and forth as they sculpted this gorgeous texture of a track; I later hung the chart on my wall.â

Another area of real interest for Trusler was the possibility of bringing someone over from across the world, and introducing their music to the UK. âBen is building a real career in the US,â he explains, âhe doesnât need my efforts over there. But here, I really think he deserves to be in the stores. It seems crazy in this day and age that there is such a musical gulf between our countries.â

Indeed, the similarities between London and New York, the pairâs respective homes, are obvious, and Benâs surroundings are not wasted on him, as he talks about life in New York City. âNew York is an electric lover, she doesn't have patience for dead weight and she seems to enjoy honesty, diversity, economy; I'd like to think that shows up in my writing and playing. I also appreciate the experience of living in the middle of one of the world's greatest art magnets. We're all feeding each other.â


"Real Thing...Yes he is. Iâve seen this handsome and charismatic New Yorker perform with just an acoustic guitar, and he killed. Possessing a clear, sweet voice and a satchel full of catchy folk-pop songs about life and love, heâs joined on his sophomore effort by papa Jon (of Mary Chapin Carpenterâs band), and they play everything. Itâs a throwback sound, kinda early Nilsson, but more upbeat."
-Dusty Wright, Culture Catch

"The Orchid label holds plenty of surprises yet."
-Time Out London