ben williams resources

GRAMMY®-winning bassist Ben Williams performs a compelling fusion of jazz, soul, R&B, and hip hop with his captivating live band. Williams’ celebrated album I AM A MAN takes its title from the sign held by sanitation workers during their historic Memphis strike in 1968, just before Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. 

Released in 2020 by Rainbow Blonde, I AM A MAN, boasts a humid and hazy sound that recalls Soulaquarian albums released by The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bilal, D’Angelo, Common, and Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor. Williams said about his latest album: “I wanted to make this not just a musical statement, but sonically, I wanted to dig into a different sound. We had the opportunity to work in the studio to craft some sounds. What you hear is Brian [Bender]’s brilliance with engineering. I wanted this record to deal with the past, present, and future.”

Ben Williams has become one of modern jazz’s most celebrated bassists of the past decade. He’s reached #1 on iTunes and National Billboards charts and was named the 2011 iTunes Jazz Breakthrough Artist of the Year. Williams served as composer and bandleader on his first two albums: State of Art (2011, Concord Records) and Coming of Age (2015, Concord Records).

ACERCA DEL NJPAC EN EL MIC PODCAST

NJPAC On the Mic invites your students to expand their experience of attending a SchoolTime Performances show. We provide three podcast episodes for each production, suitably aligned with New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) and New Jersey Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies. With NJPAC on the Mic, the learning begins before—and continues beyond—your visit to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center!

Cómo escuchar njpac en el podcast de micrófono

ANTES DE LA ACTUACIÓN

Episodio: ACERCA DE (5 minutos)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an introduction to the performance, the artist or company, and the venue.

Incluye: Introducción a la performance, & lugar del artista, mensaje de bienvenida
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing, sound design, and voiceover by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Original music from I AM A MAN by Ben Williams
Welcome message voiced by Ben Williams
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos

DESPUÉS DE LA ACTUACIÓN

Episodio: CONECTAR (8 minutos)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for reflection questions, a closer look at an aspect of the performance such as historical context or background on the art form, and a brief selection of vocabulary words.

Includes: Reflection question, a look at the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike & the phrase I AM A MAN
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Original music from I AM A MAN by Ben Williams
Opening question voiced by Ben Williams
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos

Episodio: FOCO (10 minutos)
Listen to this audio via the embedded media below for an exclusive interview with an artist from the production or an NJPAC staff member followed by discussion prompts.

Includes: An interview with bassist and composer Ben Williams, discussion starters
Written and hosted by Dania Ramos
Sound editing and design by Michael Aquino
Theme and outro music: NJPAC Student Hip Hop program
Original music from I AM A MAN by Ben Williams
Interview guest: Ben Williams
Series producers: Michael Aquino and Dania Ramos

NJPAC On the Mic is produced in partnership with CM Studios. 
Equipo de actuaciones de NJPAC Arts Education: Rosa Hyde, Treasure Borde y Kendall Lipham
Productores de CM Studios: Michael Aquino, Dania Ramos 
NJPAC y CM Studios están ubicados en el condado de Essex, Nueva Jersey, situados en el territorio tradicional del pueblo Leni Lenape.
 

Enlaces y fuentes de episodios
NJPAC | Programas de educación artística: njpac.org/artes-educación
NJPAC | Acerca del NJPAC: njpac.org/sobre
NJPAC resources | Ben Williams | I AM A MAN : njpac.org/arts-education/teacher-resources
Ben Williams: benwilliamsofficial.com*
NPR Music | Ben Williams, NPR Tiny Desk Concert: youtube.com/watch?v=rsMLQVRS3ho*
Ben Williams’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCYSKqHupF1dBfd0WAgdvy3g*
History.com | The 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike: history.com/news/sanitation-workers-strike-memphis*
American Rhetoric | “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”: americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm*
National Civil Rights Museum | I AM A MAN: Memphis Sanitation Strike 1968: civilrightsmuseum.org/i-am-a-man*
I Am a Man!: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Man!*