Friday, February 7, 2025

Ben Sidran to play at Toledo Club

Ben Sidran, who will be in concert at the Toledo Club on Wednesday, September 10, is a jazz hipster who passed up a solid shot at rock stardom.  The reason? He didn’t really like rock and roll. “It’s just three chords,” said the jazz virtuoso. “A lot of it seemed trivial to me. For me, jazz has always been No. 1.”

While studying English literature at the University of Wisconsin, Sidran, 71, played piano in a rock band, the Ardells, alongside Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs. His colleagues moved to the West Coast and became global rock stars, but Sidran chose to continue his education and went on to earn a doctorate in American studies from the University of Essex in England.

While studying in England, Sidran recorded with such rock luminaries as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Peter Frampton.

He and Stones drummer Charlie Watts developed a lifelong friendship over their mutual love of jazz.

“He’s a really sweet, gentle guy. He was on the very first recording I did, in 1968 or ’69 and we’ve been friends ever since,” Sidran said in a phone interview. “I went to his house and he was listening to Miles Davis.  I said, ‘Man, I’m really happy to hear you listening to Miles because, to tell you the truth, I don’t listen to the Stones very much.’ Charlie said, ‘That’s all right, mate. Neither do we.’

“Charlie is a nice man and a dedicated fan of jazz. He loves the music and he listens to it all the time. He’s a really sweet, gentle guy. I just can’t say enough about Charlie.”

Among the other notables Sidran has performed and recorded with are Diana Ross, Van Morrison, and Rickie Lee Jones.

His latest CD, “Don’t Cry for No Hipster,” is musically complex, yet fun to listen to, with some humorous tunes like the title track and the golf-themed  “Back Nine.”

After all the technical skills are developed and musical training absorbed, the goal should be to make music that is enjoyable, Sidran said.

“If you’re not having fun and you’re playing music, you’re doing something wrong,” he said. “As Charlie Parker said, ‘If you want me to act like a doctor, I’ll play like a doctor.’ Everybody has to come to that realization, that music should be fun.”

He has high regard for two of Toledo’s jazz legends, singer-lyricist Jon Hendricks (who will turn 93 on September 16), and the late Art Tatum.

“Jon is the greatest jazz lyricist-slash-jazz singer in that idiom ever,” Sidran said. “There’s nobody that can even touch him. He’s one of the most educated and, in many ways, the best example of the place where jazz and literature meet. He understands literature and he understand the music and the words…. It’s kind of a funny concept, but when he write words to melodies, it’s’ like he heard them, heard the melodies talking.”

Tatum, a Toledo native who died in 1956 at age 46, was “clearly the most brilliant jazz pianist who ever lived. I think everyone agrees. No one comes close,” Sidran said.

Sidran will be playing in Toledo with his regular lineup featuring his son, Leo Sidran, on drums, Billy Peterson on bass (who played on Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” album, Sidran pointed out), and Billy’s brother Ricky Peterson on Hammond organ.

Ben Sidran and his band will be in concert at 7:30pm Wednesday, September 10, at the Toledo Club, 235 14th St. Tickets are $45 for the general public, $35 for members of the Art Tatum Jazz Society, and $10 for students. 

Ben Sidran, who will be in concert at the Toledo Club on Wednesday, September 10, is a jazz hipster who passed up a solid shot at rock stardom.  The reason? He didn’t really like rock and roll. “It’s just three chords,” said the jazz virtuoso. “A lot of it seemed trivial to me. For me, jazz has always been No. 1.”

While studying English literature at the University of Wisconsin, Sidran, 71, played piano in a rock band, the Ardells, alongside Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs. His colleagues moved to the West Coast and became global rock stars, but Sidran chose to continue his education and went on to earn a doctorate in American studies from the University of Essex in England.

While studying in England, Sidran recorded with such rock luminaries as Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Peter Frampton.

He and Stones drummer Charlie Watts developed a lifelong friendship over their mutual love of jazz.

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“He’s a really sweet, gentle guy. He was on the very first recording I did, in 1968 or ’69 and we’ve been friends ever since,” Sidran said in a phone interview. “I went to his house and he was listening to Miles Davis.  I said, ‘Man, I’m really happy to hear you listening to Miles because, to tell you the truth, I don’t listen to the Stones very much.’ Charlie said, ‘That’s all right, mate. Neither do we.’

“Charlie is a nice man and a dedicated fan of jazz. He loves the music and he listens to it all the time. He’s a really sweet, gentle guy. I just can’t say enough about Charlie.”

Among the other notables Sidran has performed and recorded with are Diana Ross, Van Morrison, and Rickie Lee Jones.

His latest CD, “Don’t Cry for No Hipster,” is musically complex, yet fun to listen to, with some humorous tunes like the title track and the golf-themed  “Back Nine.”

After all the technical skills are developed and musical training absorbed, the goal should be to make music that is enjoyable, Sidran said.

“If you’re not having fun and you’re playing music, you’re doing something wrong,” he said. “As Charlie Parker said, ‘If you want me to act like a doctor, I’ll play like a doctor.’ Everybody has to come to that realization, that music should be fun.”

He has high regard for two of Toledo’s jazz legends, singer-lyricist Jon Hendricks (who will turn 93 on September 16), and the late Art Tatum.

“Jon is the greatest jazz lyricist-slash-jazz singer in that idiom ever,” Sidran said. “There’s nobody that can even touch him. He’s one of the most educated and, in many ways, the best example of the place where jazz and literature meet. He understands literature and he understand the music and the words…. It’s kind of a funny concept, but when he write words to melodies, it’s’ like he heard them, heard the melodies talking.”

Tatum, a Toledo native who died in 1956 at age 46, was “clearly the most brilliant jazz pianist who ever lived. I think everyone agrees. No one comes close,” Sidran said.

Sidran will be playing in Toledo with his regular lineup featuring his son, Leo Sidran, on drums, Billy Peterson on bass (who played on Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” album, Sidran pointed out), and Billy’s brother Ricky Peterson on Hammond organ.

Ben Sidran and his band will be in concert at 7:30pm Wednesday, September 10, at the Toledo Club, 235 14th St. Tickets are $45 for the general public, $35 for members of the Art Tatum Jazz Society, and $10 for students. 

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