Local musician Ben Jones is rejuvenating his musical career after returning to Maysville to take care of his parents, Marsha and George.
Ben has been playing music since the age of eight, when he learned to play the piano. At the age of 11, he learned to play the saxophone and at 16, he learned to play the guitar.
A 2001 graduate of Mason County High School, he was a member of the high school band, jazz band and concert choir. During his senior year of high school, he was a member of the Kentucky All-State Choir and joined a professional jazz band, playing the baritone saxophone.
Ben describes his music as jam/rock with a blues style, with the lyrics based around a broad range of topics.
“Right now, I am getting back to promoting my own personal music and songs that I’ve written,” he said Wednesday.
His style can be can be heard on the Internet site – reverbnation.com/benjonescentral. His page has five songs available for play; “Bad News Blues,” “Walk Away,” “Hello Goodbye,” “Runnin (live remix),” and “The Only One.”
He can record and edit his songs at home using a 12-channel portable audio and a software program.
“Basically I have a studio at my house. I’m working on my editing and recording,” he said.
He’s working to promote his music through engagements with other bands at venues and special events, locally and in Lexington and Cincinnati.
He and fellow musician, Nick Denham are collaborating to line up some playing time at local bars.
Now 32, Ben started playing at local bars and venues when he was a sophomore at Otterbein University, in Westerville, Ohio. He graduated in 2006.
He would mainly play the acoustic guitar, changing up instruments if one of his friends wanted to join him.
He performed weekly at Renies Lounge for two years and also played with a band called The Bakersette Boys. He played keyboard, was a lead singer and provided back-up vocals.
He then joined an alternative rock band, Antaean playing the keyboard and singing back-up.
He said two of Antaean’s original songs were played on Columbus radio stations, and he performed with the band at the Newport Music Hall, which has hosted music legends Led Zeppelin and Frank Sinatra.
The band also won a contest on ReverbNation out of 200 bands and got to meet members of the band, Rains, which was the opening for a Five Finger Death Punch concert.
While playing with Antaean, he also played with his college buddies in the Greg Hale Band.
His personal works have also ranked in the top 10 on the ReverbNation site, he said.
The largest audience he has played for was 2,500, when he played with a bluegrass band one Fourth of July in Columbus.
“That was pretty fun,” he said of the experience.
He is working to rebuild his exposure and song list, with the hopes of spending more time in front of an audience and his ReverbNation is his primary tool to gain that exposure.
“What people are looking for determines if they pick me or someone else,” he said.
Jones is on Facebook at Ben Jones Central and can be reached via email at: benhj325@gmail.com
