Ben Shankland Trio

Event information

Winner of BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year and two time Scottish Jazz Award nominee, Edinburgh-born pianist and composer Ben Shankland is swiftly gaining recognition on the UK jazz scene, despite his young age.

He is equally comfortable in various settings, from large ensembles to solo piano, and his combination of ‘lyricism with drive and precision’ (The Scotsman) has garnered praise from audiences and critics alike. Shankland’s music is born of a clear reverence for the jazz tradition and lineage, but with unmistakable personality in every phrase. Always driven by melody, yet never afraid to explore complexity in rhythm and texture, Shankland sings freely with the piano as his voice.

He has featured at numerous UK jazz festivals, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Birmingham, has also worked in a duo collaboration with vocalist Lucy-Anne Daniels, and played opening sets for pianists Pablo Held and Jason Rebello.

Alongside his primary focus on improvised music, Ben continues to perform in the classical world. Notably, he has collaborated with BBC Young Musician 2022 percussionist Jordan Ashman in an award-winning recital and served as the soloist in three performances of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra. His ability to engage and connect with audiences at such a young age truly sets him apart as a talent to
watch in the coming years.

‘Young and prodigiously talented, that’s all three of them’ – Bebop Spoken Here

‘His playing was free and expressive, coming more from the heart than the manuscript.’ Edinburgh Guide

‘While all three musicians impressed with their soloing, their ensemble playing was as strong or even stronger, a case of impressive parts making an even more impressive
whole.’ The Jazz Mann

The highlight of the whole evening for me was Shankland’s own composition, ‘Gratitude’, with its shifting sense of longing, meditation and sunset. Thoughtful, tender and absolutely gorgeous. Edinburgh Music Review


https://youtu.be/KggIunXAicA

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