How many times have you visited Australia? This will be my sixth visit. I love Australia and the invitation to play Blues At The Briars festival en route to NZ gave me the chance to spend ten days getting to know Melbourne, play a few gigs and make new friends.
Talk a bit about the band you’re coming out with. I know you’ve got your son
on sax. Blues at the Briars introduced me to local musicians Sweet Felicia (bass) and Ash Davies (drums). Top class musicians, they’re well known around the Victorian music scene. I’m looking forward to our ‘get to know you’ session when I arrive.
You’re a noted champion of boogie woogie. Does it still have a following? It’s mainstream in Europe and North America through festivals and live concerts, which is why I spend so much time travelling. Its U.S. origins are much the same as blues, R&B, rock‘n’roll and even country. It seems natural that over time my playing style has evolved in a way that encompasses all these related styles.
What do you hope people get out of a Ben Waters gig? Foremost is that everyone has a great time and I get the joint jumping through my patent love of the music I play. In particular the smaller venues I’m playing in Melbourne allow me to closely engage my audience.
Do you plan to release any more music? I just had a brilliant recording session; we recorded eight tracks of old style boogie and blues.
