Today I noticed that as I went up and down the stairs, my knee did not hurt! Then the rain stopped after work and I thought maybe I’ll try to run! So I cued up the iPod with some blues that I put on it today and took off, hoping to make 30 minutes. Well, I made my goal 33 minutes approximately around 3 miles at slightly over a 10 minute per mile pace. My knee’s not bad and the music One Crow Murder the new album by Ben Prestage was great Here’s what his website says about the album!
The best album to-date, from the world’s greatest one-man-band. Finger-style guitar, Dobro, Lap-Steel, Harmonica, Diddley-Bow. This is real Original American Roots music.
and Leslie Streeter of the Palm Beach Post
“Close your eyes, take a breath and listen to Ben Prestage. Take in the hearty blues twang of the strings of his guitar, the smokyscratchy tone of his voice, the backwoods, juke joint, live and unfettered soulful joy of it all. Be thrilled that there’s a young guy…who’s descended from vaudeville singers, boogiewoogie musicians and a Delta sharecropper, with his own spin on the blues and a very nifty oneman band setup (including a cigar box guitar). Go see him…Be amazed”
Ben Prestage has been soaked in Blues tradition and Mississippi culture since birth. The grandson of a Mississippi sharecropper, He grew up in the swamps of south central Florida, Ben began to mix Mississippi Country Blues with his own brand of Florida Swamp Blues. While working as a street musician he became a one man band. In addition to playing guitar he first added a cigarbox guitar (made by Memphian an one-man-band John Lowe) which has stereo guitar and bass strings that can be played independently, at the same time to his show. Then he added a series of four foot pedals that can be manipulated by the heels and toes of both feet to play a drumkit. The final result is Ben playing guitar, bass, and drums while singing his own brand of Blues! Ben has competed in the International Blues Challenge (the world’s largest gathering of Blues musicians) and within three consecutive years took he 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place. Ben is also the only two-time recipient of the Lyon/Pitchford Award for “Best Diddley-Bow Player.” His original songwriting skills netted him “The Most Unique Performer” at “The Song- writers’ Showcase of America” and he has been invited to perform across North America, Europe, and as far as North Africa. Currently the new album is number 16 on the Roots Music Reports Blues Chart, which us where I saw the album and Ben’s name for the first time! Having only listened once I can’t tell you any favorites yet just that you should check the album out if you like real original acoustic blues!!
You can check out his music at Blues Boys and Divas or CdBaby: Ben Prestage
Here’s a taste of Ben’s music!