Videos
Aloha Friends,
I wanted to share a special video with you all before the summer ends. Two years ago, my former teacher, mentor, and dear friend, Frederic Hand wrote and dedicated a substantial new work to me entitled Theme, Variations and Finale. It is a deeply profound and innovative piece. It is a piece that (in my humble opinion) is timeless. Fred’s musical language and his compositional voice on the instrument are unique. This is evident when one listens to this work.
I premiered Theme, Variations and Finale in January 2022 at the Yale School of Music. Since then, I have continued to study it and seek out more of its musical truths. I performed it in various concerts. This past June, I finally recorded it and later made the video.
I was fortunate enough to work on the piece with Fred a few times during that period. It was both a delight and a challenge playing a piece that the composer plays so exquisitely! Throughout this time, I was grateful that Fred granted me great artistic freedom.
I would like to thank Matt LeFevre for his beautiful recording and engineering of the piece. Giacomo La Vita for his wonderful videography and John Olson for his sensitive video editing.
Finally, I would like to publicly thank Fred Hand for writing such a meaningful work. From the moment I first saw the notes on the page to now has been a life-affirming artistic journey and a great honor.
Until the next time,
Peace, love, and guitars!
Ben
(August 12, 2024)
Aloha Friends!
I hope this email finds you in great health and spirits. I wanted to share two brand new videos of two songs I arranged for solo guitar by the legendary singer-songwriter/activist Buffy Sainte-Marie. I have known of Buffy Sainte-Marie since I was ten years old, when I heard her iconic protest song “Universal Soldier.” A year ago I heard a Terry Gross Fresh Air interview with her discussing her new authorized biography by Andrea Warner.
I was so taken by the interview that I immediately went out and bought a copy. After reading it, I listened to all the recordings of hers I could find, searching for songs that I might arrange. The anthemic melodies, lyrics/message, and her emotional performances of these two songs deeply moved me. They are songs Buffy Sainte-Marie wrote later in her career, in a style she calls Pow Wow Rock. "Ke Sakihitin Awasis (I Love You Baby)" is from her recording Power In the Blood. "You Got To Run (Spirit of the Wind)" is from her recording Medicine Songs, and is co-written by Tanya Tagaq.
A huge thanks goes out to Matthew LeFevre for recording and editing the audio. In addition, a huge thanks to John Olson for filming/editing the video and finding such a magical location to shoot it! And oh yes and to all the birds who sang in “You Got To Run!”
Wishing you all much peace, love, guitars, and a wonderful end of summer!
ben
(August 20, 2022)
July 2021
Benjamin Britten
Nocturnal after John Dowland for Guitar, Op 70
Benjamin Verdery, Guitar
Images by Christopher Burke
Concept & Direction by John Olson, Benjamin Verdery
Lay It All Down
July 22, 2022
By Bob Welch and Fleetwood Mac
Arranged by Ben Verdery
Filmed and recorded by Sean Hower and Scott Johnson; Edited by John Olson
Featuring the 2022 Maui Honu Guitar Orchestra directed by Ben Verdery
Soloists: Jiji, guitar; Meghan Ruel, violin; Alex Lew, guitar; Ian O'Sullivan, ukulele; and Diego Miranda, guitar Maui Honu Guitar Orchestra: Alicia Castillo Ethan Michael Bowers Emilia Diaz Delgado River Holmes Roan Holmes Andrew Hull Alex Lew Zhengji Li Fangfang Liu Diego Miranda Nathan Park Reade Park Trent Park Ye Ran Tore Sclafani Arnav Singh Brandon Wong
November 2020
Video by John Olson and Ben Verdery
Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Matthew LeFevre
Simon Powis, Ben Verdery, guitars
Guilherme Nardelli Monegatto, cello
Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, vocals
Thanks to all those past and present who took the extraordinarily powerful photos that make up this video and deepest gratitude to the many who have performed this piece throughout the years.
I first arranged Amazing Grace in 1985 for the memorial service of my father, the Reverend John D. Verdery. I revised it to honor the victims of the 9/11 attack in New York City, where I live. This recording was part of my virtual concert for the 2020 Boston Guitar Festival. Now I am dedicating it to all of the courageous protesters of the Black Lives Matter uprisings. My favorite arrangement of this extraordinary song is by the legendary Aretha Franklin on her groundbreaking recording Amazing Grace.
Arrangement: Ben Verdery Published by Les Editions Doberman-Yppan
Baritone Guitar: Otto Vowinkel
Strings: D'Addario
Self Recorded: June 20, 2020 at Chez Vees Studios
June 2019
From Aristotle Music composed by Ben Verdery and Mark Martin
Lyrics from Aristotle's The Poetics
Special thanks for the making of the video to Mark Martin, Kaila Mullady, Eben Bull, Christopher Burke, Nicoletta Todesco, Mitsuko Verdery and Nuria Martin Fandos
October 2018
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria (Cantilena) Heitor Villa-Lobos
Arrangement: Roland Dyens Guitarist, Benjamin Verdery
Recorded and Produced by Solomon Silber, Elm City Records
Mixed and Co-produced Matt LeFevre and Ben Verdery
Videographers: Sean Hower, Scott Johnson, Polyphonic Ind. Maui HI
Video Editor: Mitsuko Verdery
Guitar : Garrett Lee Guitar / Support: Barnett Guitar Support
Strings: D'Addario
Clothing: Fumi
May 2019
50 years after the release of the ground breaking album Are You Experienced, my dear friend Ray White called me to see if I would do an interview discussing my thoughts on Jimi Hendrix. Talk to Ray about my love for Jimi? Are you kidding? I was in! Ray is one of America's most beloved music radio personalities. I listened to Ray on WNEW FM when I was teenager.
As it turned out Ray's film crew consisted of two Parisians, Pierre Mitz and Eric Stockplus. We all had so much fun doing the interview that I suggested we do Purple Haze video here in town. A day later, on quite a foggy purple afternoon, we borrowed a friend's down town roof top complete with a pirate flag and shot the video. It is both a tribute to Jimi Hendrix whose music deeply moves me 50 years later and a small tribute to the city he loved so. Ray, Eric, Pierre and I wish you Peace, love and more Jimi!
August 2017
Written in November/December 2016 by my mentor Seymour Bernstein. I had asked Seymour to write a piece for me several years ago. During the intermission of a gorgeous recital by our mutual dear friend David Leisner, I turned to him and said, " so, are you going to write a piece for me or what?" The next morning I received an email from Seymour. Here is a quote from that email: "I am thinking of a piece for you. You know how Britten resolves his masterpiece into a Dowland prayer? Well I have a favorite Bach chorale to dissolve your piece into. I already began to play around with the chorale." And so the journey began between composer and performer. After learning Searching.. I had many coachings on the work similar to others I have had with Seymour for the past 30+ years. He at the piano and me next to him with guitar in hand. At the core of Searching for a Chorale and it's interpretation lay two people's profound love and respect for music and friendship.
Composer: Seymour Bernstein
Recorded at Elm City Records Speak Easy Studios
Recording Producer: Solomon Silber
Recording Engineer : Evan Bakke
Video Filmed by Scott Johnson and Sean Hower of Polyphonic Ind. Maui HI Video
Editor: Mitsuko Verdery
Guitar: Garrett Lee
Strings: D'Addario
Clothing: Fumi
Special Mahalo to all at St. John's Episcopal Church, Kula, Maui HI for allowing to film in this magical church and setting.
Publisher: Doberman-Yippan
May 2018
Portbou by Bryce Dessner
Guitarist: Ben Verdery
Dance Artist: Belinda Adam of MICHIYAYA Dance
Filmed at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church / Video: Mitsuko Verdery
Extra Special Thanks to Thomas Flippin
Engineered and Recorded by Solomon Silber at the Speak Easy ECR Studio Recording Produced by Solomon Silber and Ben Verdery
Guitar: Garrett J. Lee / Strings : D'Addario / Ben's Clothes: Fumi Akimoto
June 2016
On Vineyard Sound: With Rhythmic Drive and Propulsion
Composer: Ezra Laderman
From the CD The Ben Verdery Guitar Project, On Vineyard Sound (Elm City Records)
Guitar in the video by Garrett Lee / Recorded guitar by Greg Smallman / Strings by D'Addario Film Crew: Anteo Fabris and Lauren Chun Special Thanks to Janet Sullivan and the Yale University Art Gallery
December 2016
It’s all about climate change
Peace, love guitars and a healthier planet!
NRDC
World Organization
The Climate Reality Project
Lonely Whale
Surfrider Foundation
May 2016
Third movement of Martin Bresnick's beautiful work Joaquin is Dreaming
From the CD The Ben Verdery Guitar Project, On Vineyard Sound.
Special thanks to videographers Sean Michael Hower and Scott Johnson of Polyphonic Industries and video editor Mitsuko Verdery.
Recorded by Adam Abeshouse.
The guitar used on the recording is by Greg Smallman. The guitar in the shoot is by Garrett Lee. All strings by D'Addario.
Ben and Billy Dean Thomas
April 2015
Start Now
Guitar and Music Composed by Ben Verdery
Billy Dean Thomas, Vocals and lyrics
December 2015
Hoochie Coochie Man
Director, Videographer, Editor: Frankie Turiano
Ben Verdery: arrangement and guitars
Billy Dean Thomas: vocals and lyrics (after the first Willie Dixon verse)
Billy Dean Thomas and I so enjoyed our collaboration on Black Bach and Start Now the question arose, what to do next? I thought we should record something that was the polar opposite of Black Bach and Start Now. The legendary Blues classic Hoochie Coochie Man came immediately to mind. Truth be told, the blues was introduced to me early in my musical development because I had older brothers, and I lived on the campus of the Wooster School which at the time was a boarding school for high school boys. My brother Don in his teenage years was a great lover of the blues. He introduced me to all 3 Kings, (B.B., Albert, Freddy) Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield and Muddy Waters among others.
I loved this music and still do. I love playing blues. Who doesn’t? I adored Muddy Waters from the moment I heard him. His recording Fathers and Sons was on constant rotation for months! In addition, I was lucky enough to see him perform at the Fillmore East. And yes - he sang Hoochie Coochie Man. Muddy made Hoochie famous in 1955 but it was actually written by one of the greatest Blues songwriters in history, Willie Dixon.
The idea also occurred to me because a few years back I had accompanied one of America’s foremost poets and educators, William Corbett. Bill read the lyrics of Hoochie Coochie Man and I played fragments of the iconic motive as an accompaniment. I loved that concert experience and it inspired me to think that Billy could similarly give Hoochie her own powerful reading.
Myself and Billy want to thank Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters, Frankie Turiano and crew, D’Addario strings, drummers Jared Shonig (audio) and Rob D’Addario (in the shoot), Jack Vees for his guitar and amp, David Veslocki for producing and mixing the track and all of our family and friends for being part of it.
Arpril 2015
Black Bach
J.S. Bach's Allegro from Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV 998
Ben Verdery, guitar
Billy Dean Thomas, Vocals and lyrics
September 2016
Chant for Peace
Director, Videographer, Editor: Frankie Turiano
Assistant Director: Sogil Oh
Benjamin Verdery: composer, guitars (Jeff Traugott 8 string; Fender Jazz Bass and Fender Stratocaster)
Billy Dean Thomas: vocals
Nano Stern: vocals, guitar
Choreography Michiyaya Dance Company
Dancers: Belinda Adam, Anya Clarke, Nùria Martin Fandos, Crystal Rodriguez, Mitsuko Verdery
"Love and compassion are necessities not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
There can never be enough chants, prayers, songs, symphonies, poems, hopes and dreams for peace. I am one of the millions who believes every little bit of positive thought towards peace helps.
With all of the turmoil in our world I decided to re-record Chant for Peace changing the arrangement and instrumentation. At the outset, I asked hip hop artist Billy Dean Thomas and Chilean singer song writer Nano Stern to contribute their own lyric and vocal line. I remain exceedingly moved by their heart felt performances.
I wrote Chant for Peace in the early 90's. It originally appeared on a CD entitled Ufonia. The marvelous singer Sanghamitra Chatterjee sang the lyric Peace For our Children Now in Hindi on that recording. The extraordinary drumming and musical contribution by Ufonia's hand drum virtuoso John Marshall was essential to the song.
Nano Stern's Lyric (English Translation):
A chant for peace
that silences so much cruelty
that sheds light on every town
and turns bitter into sweet
Let it distinguish no colors
this chant for peace...
May it be strong and able
to heal so much pain.
Shangri La Series
2014
Doris Duke's Shangri La Center for Islamic Arts & Cultures Honolulu, HI
Videographer: Mitsuko Verdery