Melting Pot Boogie


He’s worked with Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and the Rolling Stones; he’s performed for royalty, been backed by Charlie Watts and Jools Holland rates him as one of the greatest piano players of all time, but now Britain’s boogie woogie piano maestro Ben Waters is ready to take centre stage like never before.

Bringing a contemporary edge to the vintage music he loves Ben has a new four-track EP, out later this year as he prepares to hit the road ahead of the release of his blistering new album in 2016.

The songs offer a flavour of Ben’s barnstorming career to date with an exciting hint of what’s to come from this most talented musician.

“I was a teenager when I first saw Fats Domino on television and he got me into this music – he’s been my guiding light ever since,” says Dorset-born Ben. “I love the way he plays, I was hooked instantly. His music is so full of energy, but there’s nothing forced or frantic about it, it’s what I aspire to in the way I play as well – a relaxed-ness about the way the music is played. It’s quite rural, like me. Maybe Fats had some Dorset in him as well!”

Born in Weymouth, Ben grew up in a music-loving family – his great-grandfather Ernie played piano in the pubs and clubs, while his dad played trombone in Dorchester Town Band – but it was going to blues sessions in West Dorset with his uncle and aunt Ray and Eva (Polly Harvey’s dad and mum) that his passion for rhythm and blues caught fire.



“The lady who ran the Hope and Anchor in Bridport was friends with a boogie piano player called Diz Watson from Diz and the Doormen who used to come down to Dorset every year to play a weekend of gigs. They’d bring all these other great bands like Juice on the Loose, the Balham Alligators with Geraint Watkins on piano and Rocket 88, which was Ian Stewart’s band. He was the pianist who formed the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones and an incredible man.

“I was transfixed by the piano players and got them to show me how to play things. I wasn’t very good at school, but this was something I could do, it was like a drug to me.”

After his aunt Eva sent Ben’s first CD, recorded when he was 18, to Radio 1 it was picked up by John Peel and Andy Kershaw, who tipped off Paul Jones on Radio 2. He was on his way and 25 years later Ben is still playing with all the verve and vitality of his heroes, matched by bags of flair and personality that are all his own.