Gig | Madison - Ardells (with Steve Miller & Boz Scaggs)
Photo | Ben in '63
Photo | Ben on Union terrace
Photo | Ben on Union Terrace 2
Photo | At a Paris Cafe
Photo | London with Jann Wenner
Album | Feel Your Groove
Writing | Feel Your Groove: Lyrics
Photo | Capitol sessions 5
Photo | Capitol sessions 4
Photo | Capitol sessions 3
Photo | Capitol sessions 1
Album | I Lead a Life
Production | Journey From Eden / Steve Miller
Conversation | Glyn Johns
Writing | I Lead A Life: Lyrics
Writing | Black Talk: Book
Photo | Madison sessions 2
Photo | Madison sessions 1
Writing | Putting In Time On Planet Earth: Lyrics
Production | Sylvester And The Hot Band
Album | Puttin’ In Time On Planet Earth
Production | Tell Me the Truth / Jon Hendricks
Photo | Tony Williams in Boston 1
Album | Don’t Let Go
Writing | Don’t Let Go: Lyrics
Photo | Bob Krasnow in Chicago
Photo | With Jane Fonda 1
Photo | Ibiza 2
Photo | Ibiza 1
Photo | With Jon Hendricks
Album | Free in America
Photo | Unknown Stage shot '75
Photo | Madison Back Yard
Photo | Winter 1976
Photo | Bicentenial Bebop Band
Gig | Long Island, NY - My Father’s Place
Writing | Free In America: Lyrics
Photo | San Francisco '76, 3
Photo | Sing Me A Jazz Song Rehearsal 4
Photo | Sing Me A Jazz Song Rehearsal 3
Photo | Sing Me A Jazz Song Taping 1
Photo | Sing Me A Jazz Song Rehearsal
Gig | New York, The Bottom Line
Album | A Little Kiss in the Night
Photo | With Michael Franks, 1977
Photo | Church Key
Album | The Doctor is In
Gig | Minneapolis - UofM
Writing | A Little Kiss In The Night: Lyrics
Writing | Live At Montreux: Lyrics
Album | Live at Montreux
Photo | Montreux Performance
Photo | Montreux, Switzerland
Writing | The Doctor is In: Lyrics
Conversation | Danny Richmond
Gig | Tokyo, Theater
Photo | Los Angeles promo shoot
Writing | The Cat And The Hat: Lyrics
Gig | Madison, Bunky’s (Trio)
Album | The Cat and The Hat
Photo | The Cat and the Hat posse
Production | Pat MacDonald
Photo | Perched on a chair
Photo | Ben and Bunky Green
Photo | Leo and Ben on stage
Video | Willebskis Film with Archie Shepp 'Willow Weep For Me'
Photo | Richie Cole and Ben after the show
Photo | Ensmeble singing 'Oo Pa Pa Da'
Photo | Tim Hauser of the Manhattan Transfer and Ben
Photo | At Carnegie Hall
Photo | Ben and Al Jarreau
Photo | Ben and Al Jarreau
Video | In Holland, 'Charlie's Blues'
Gig | San Francisco, Keystone Korner (Kuartet)
Photo | Musicians and promoters in Phoenix
Video | WHA TV, 'Charlie's Blues'
Album | Old Songs for the New Depression
Photo | 'Old Songs' recording session
Video | The Jazz Life featuring Richie Cole
Writing | Old Songs For The New Depression: Lyrics
Video | The Jazz Life featuring Mike Mainieri
Conversation | Jesse Hill
Conversation | Freddie Hubbard
Conversation | Ben on WBCY
Album | Bop City
Photo | Talking with the piano
Photo | Talking with the piano
Photo | Street scene, San Francisco
Conversation | Ben on KJAZ
Photo | Born in Chicago
Gig | Alaska, Fly By Nightclub - 1982 Quartet
Photo | London promo shot for 'Bopcity'
Photo | London promo shot for 'Bopcity'
Album | Get to the Point
Writing | Bob City: Lyrics
Photo | Bopcity Band
Photo | Ben and Richard in the museum
Video | Since I Fell For You
Photo | Tokyo photo
Photo | Tokyo photo
Photo | Ben and Archie Shepp
Gig | Boulder, Conference on World Affairs with Spike Robinson, Dave Grusin
Photo | Summers end in Minneapolis
Photo | Summers end in Minneapolis
Conversation | John Scofield Talking Jazz
Gig | Chicago, Orphans Club
Conversation | Dr. John Talking Jazz
Photo | Ben and Dr. John
Conversation | Art Blakey Talking Jazz
Conversation | Freddie Hubbard Talking Jazz
Photo | Ben and Richard Davis
Photo | Ben and Richard Davis
Photo | Ben and Richard Davis
Album | Live at the Elvehjem
Production | Night Watch / Ricky Peterson
Gig | Alaska, Fly By Nightclub - Organ Quartet
Video | Ben Sidran and Richard Davis, Jazz Class on Wisconsin Public TV - 1985
Photo | Dr. John at the piano
Conversation | Tony Williams Talking Jazz
Conversation | Branford Marsalis Talking Jazz
Photo | Ben interviewing Chick Corea
Writing | On The Cool Side: Lyrics
Album | On the Cool Side
Conversation | Jon Hendricks Talking Jazz
Conversation | Sonny Rollins Talking Jazz
Conversation | Dizzy Gillespie Talking Jazz
Photo | Ben interviewing Rudy Van Gelder
Writing | Graven Images Article
Conversation | Wynton Marsalis Talking Jazz
Conversation | Max Roach Talking Jazz
Conversation | Miles Davis Talking Jazz
Photo | Ben Sidran comes to Sydney
Photo | Recording 'On the Live Side'
Photo | Recording 'On the Live Side'
Photo | Recording 'On the Live Side'
Video | Ben On the Live Side - Complete Concert
Gig | Boulder, Conference on World Affairs - with Spike Robinson
Gig | Sydney, The Basement
Production | Pop Bop / Richie Cole
Photo | Ben with Dave Brubeck and Marion McPartland
Production | Ever Since the World Ended / Mose Allison
Conversation | Gil Evans Talking Jazz
Album | On the Live Side
Writing | Have You Met Barcelona
Album | Have You Met in Barcelona
Photo | Ben in Nancy, France
Conversation | Ben on France Musique
Photo | Billy and Ben on the boulevard
Photo | In Bordeau with Leo
Photo | Don Cherry and Ben
Conversation | Herbie Hancock Talking Jazz
Conversation | Joe Sample Talking Jazz
Production | Spread Your Wings / Clementine
Photo | The band lands in Japan
Video | Tokyo, Bravas Club 'Have You Met Miss Jones'
Video | Tokyo, Bravas Club 'Straight No Chaser'
Production | Signature / Richie Cole
Photo | Leo checks out the Hollywood action
Photo | Ben and Richard Davis
Photo | Ben, Richie and Janis
Photo | A diverse cast of characters following the gig
Gig | Minneapolis, Lake Harriett (feat. Steve Miller)
Production | Born 2 B Blue / Steve Miller
Writing | On The Live Side: Lyrics
Photo | Johnny and Ben just before a take
Photo | Hanging with the Little Giant
Photo | Ben with Ben Riley and Johnny Griffin on the Ramblas
Photo | Hanging with the Little Giant
Photo | Ben and Johnny Griffin
Conversation | George Benson Talking Jazz
Conversation | Betty Carter Talking Jazz
Gig | Minneapolis, NY’s Eve with Richie Cole
Writing | Too Hot to Touch: Lyrics
Conversation | Johnny Griffin Talking Jazz
Photo | With Karim Abdul-Jabaar in his den
Album | Too Hot to Touch
Photo | At the festival in Vienne, France
Conversation | Michel Petrucciani Talking Jazz
Conversation | Ben at Stevens Point
Photo | Ben, Bill Cosby and producer Mike Simon
Conversation | Donald Fagen Talking Jazz
Video | With Steve Miller 'Just A Little Bit'
Photo | Johnny Copland and Ben on set
Photo | In the green room before the taping.
Photo | Ben and Charles Wright of the Watts 103rd Street Band
Photo | At the piano with Steve
Photo | Miller loves to clown
Photo | Steve Miller and I share a moment
Photo | On stage with Ricky Peterson
Photo | Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts and Ben
Photo | French singer Clementine and Ben
Photo | French singer Clementine and Ben
Conversation | Steve Gadd Talking Jazz
Video | Rome, D.O.C. 'Mitsubishi Boy'
Conversation | Sun Ra on New Visions (VH-1)
Production | Smile Blue / Ricky Peterson
Production | My Backyard / Mose Allison
Video | Australia Don Lane Show 'Girl Talk'
Photo | Spacing out in the fog
Photo | Surrendering to the rock and roll cosmos
Photo | It’s an old show-biz lick: I cool him off while he heats up the strings
Photo | Ben bunnies Steve
Photo | Ben and Billy considering the options
Photo | Ben delivering the news
Photo | Standing in Frank Lloyd Wright’s living room
Writing | Cool Paradise: Lyrics
Album | Cool Paradise
Production | Mood Swing / Bob Malach
Production | Cool Cat Blues / Georgie Fame
Video | Australia With Crossfire 'Everything Happens To Me'
Gig | Anchorage Performing Arts Center
Photo | Bob, Gordy, Billy and Ben
Photo | In Maine, wearing protection from the mosquitos
Photo | Has the crowd turned its back on me or have I turned my back on them?
Photo | Leo plays the soundcheck with the Miller Band
Photo | Ben, Georgie, Steve and Richard in the control room
Photo | Georgie, Ben and Richard Tee going over the charts
Photo | Georgie and Ben discussing the playback of 'I Love the Life I Live'
Photo | Bobby Malach’s 'Mood Swing' musicians
Photo | Japan Go Jazz promo shot
Photo | Japan Go Jazz promo shot
Gig | Tokyo, Club Quattro - with the GoJazz Allstars
Video | Go Jazz Allstars in Tokyo 'Lip Service'
Video | Go Jazz Allstars in Tokyo - Complete Concert
Production | The Go Jazz Allstars / Live In Japan
Production | The Blues And Me / Georgie Fame
Production | Whatever Happened to the Blues / Phil Upchurch
Photo | Time out for a family moment
Photo | Tommy LiPuma and Ben
Photo | Georgie Fame, Paul Shaffer and Ben
Photo | Ben, Doctor John, Georgie Fame
Photo | Ben, Gavin Christopher, Phil and Chaka Kahn
Photo | Blind Lemon (Les McCann) and Ben
Photo | Clyde Stubblefield and Michael Bland
Writing | Talking Jazz: Book
Production | Natural Woman / Giorgia
Photo | Ben and Oscar Brown Jr.
Photo | Ben with Pops and Mavis Staples
Production | Dragonfly Summer / Michael Franks
Photo | Ben in the window
Photo | Ben in the window
Photo | Ben in the window
Photo | Ben casting a large shadow
Photo | Dan Hicks, Michael Franks and Ben
Production | Stolen Moments / The Lady Sings Jazz and Blues / Diana Ross
Production | Gege and the Boparazzi
Video | Rome with Roberto Gatto and Stefano di Battista 'Straight No Chaser'
Photo | Gil Goldstein
Photo | Bob Mintzer
Photo | Lee Konitz
Photo | The Boparazzi crew
Production | Clementine Sings Ben Sidran
Video | Talking Jazz Book Reading, Madison
Conversation | Tommy Lipuma
Production | The Earth Wants You / Mose Allison
Conversation | Ben and Peter on Hoop Dreams
Production | Oh! / Will Lee
Photo | Promoting something (I forget)
Photo | Ben in between takes
Production | A Tear Can Tell / Ricky Peterson
Video | Ben on CBS Sunday Morning for 'Life's a Lesson'
Album | Life’s a Lesson
Production | The Searcher / Bob Malach
Video | Gege Telesforo featuring Jon Hendricks and Clark Terry 'Mumbles' - GoJazz Artists Series
Photo | Go Jazz Allstars in Japan
Photo | Ben in the control room
Conversation | Ben on KCRW
Production | Love Is Strange / Phil Upchurch
Gig | Madison, Cafe Montmartre - with Gege Telesforo
Photo | Ben in the dark 1
Production | Tell Me Something: The Songs Of Mose Allison
Video | Madison, Union Terrace with Frank Morgan 'Kansas City'
Production | The Mother Tongue / Gege
Writing | Mr. P’s Shuffle: Lyrics
Album | Mr. P’s Shuffle
Video | Ohne Filter 'Too Hot To Touch'
Photo | Go Jazz Allstars in Germany
Photo | At La Villa, rue Jacob, Paris
Photo | At La Villa, rue Jacob, Paris
Photo | At La Villa, rue Jacob, Paris
Gig | Madison, Cafe Montmartre - with Bob Malach, Mel Ford, Ricky Peterson
Conversation | Mose Allison - Sentient Meat
Photo | Clyde Stubblefield, Frank Morgan, Richard Davis and Ben
Photo | Ben outside the club
Photo | Ben and Roscoe Mitchell
Production | Solita / Clementine
Video | Ben Sidran, Georgie Fame, Van Morrison, Mose Allison 'Tell Me Something'
Production | When the Wind Was Cool / Dominique Eade
Video | With Van Morrison, Georgie Fame, Mose Allison
Photo | With Mose Allison in London
Photo | Ben and Leo in Washington D.C.
Photo | Ben and Richard Davis at the performance
Photo | The Celebrity Lounge
Photo | Paul Motian, Mose and Ratso Harris
Production | Gimcracks and Gewgaws / Mose Allison
Conversation | Quincy Jones
Production | Rhapsody And Blues / Phil Upchurch
Album | Live at the Celebrity Lounge
Conversation | Frank Morgan
Conversation | Bob Dorough
Production | Live At The Quest / The Minneapolis Allstars
Photo | Promo shots in Paris
Photo | The band at Orchestra Hall, Chicago
Conversation | Phil Woods
Photo | Ben playing Lorca’s piano
Production | L Sid / Leo Sidran
Photo | Ben and Leo in Amsterdam
Video | Go Jazz Allstars Ohne Filter 'Mr. Ps Shuffle'
Photo | Recording 'Poet In New York' with Georgie Fame
Photo | The gathering of the tribes on the East side of Madison
Photo | The gathering of the tribes on the East side of Madison
Production | Vietnam Long Time Coming
Album | The Concert for Garcia Lorca
Conversation | Van Morrison
Production | New Train / Paul Pena
Production | Poet In New York / Georgie Fame
Production | It’s Like This / Rickie Lee Jones
Video | Spain Lo Mas Plus with Leo Sidran 'Sevillanas / Huerto'
Photo | London club night with Tony Bennett
Photo | John Pizzarelli, Ben, Rickie Lee Jones
Video | Conference On World Affairs 'A Good Travel Agent'
Production | Conversations With Michel / Bob Malach
Production | The Mose Chronicles Vol. 1 / Mose Allison
Production | Hoop Dreams
Production | El Elefante / Ben and Leo Sidran
Video | Barlow Planetarium Lecture
Album | Walk Pretty
Video | Madrid, Cafe Central - with Quintet featuring Bob Malach and Gege Telesforo
Conversation | Ben in Barcelona
Photo | Ben and band in London
Photo | Ben in London
Video | Osaka Blue Note 'Walk Pretty'
Photo | Ben. Tammy Baldwin, and the former president
Photo | Ben at Motion Blue, Yokohama, Japan
Photo | Ben at Motion Blue, Yokohama, Japan
Production | The Original / Clyde Stubblefield
Video | Encore In Yokohama
Conversation | Ben on Area Reservada
Photo | El Elefante cover photo shoot
Production | Bob’s Ben / Bob Rockwell
Photo | The gig starts at 8:15
Gig | Madison, Union Theater (Jewish Music Concert)
Video | Germany, Music Planet 'You Can't Judge A Book'
Video | Germany, Music Planet with Georgie Fame 'Symphony Sid'
Photo | After show party in Madrid
Video | Go Jazz Allstars in Berlin
Photo | Ben in Rome 3
Video | Ben Making Nick's Bump Drink
Gig | Bayfield, Wisconsin - Big Top Chataqua - with Jorge Drexler
Production | Bohemia / Leo Sidran
Photo | Nicks Bumps Band in the studio
Photo | Nicks Bumps Band in the studio
Album | Nick’s Bump
Production | Dissertation on the State of Bliss / Tom Wopat
Writing | Ben Sidran A Life in the Music: Book
Photo | Barcelona pub crawl through the Gotico
Photo | At the Blue Note in Milan, Italy
Photo | Cruising with Molly the Poodle
Photo | Ben and Shirley Manson backstage
Photo | Cleveland celebrates its native son
Photo | Cruising with Molly the Poodle
Photo | The Cafe Montmartre vibe
Photo | Outside the Blue Note in Fukuoka, Japan
Photo | Ben’s birthday in Osaka, Japan
Album | Bumpin at the Sunside
Photo | Les Paul day in Wisconsin
Writing | Bumpin’ at the Sunside: Lyrics
Gig | Madison, Jazz at Five - Organ Night Band
Photo | Portrait
Album | Live a Fip
Photo | Ben, Sonny Rollins, Phil Upchurch
Photo | Ben with the Funk Allstars
Photo | Ben with the Funk Allstars
Photo | At book festival with Cynthia Lennon
Photo | At book festival in Deia with (L to R) Lucia Graves and Laura Garcia Lorca
Photo | On stage with Peter Bogdanovich
Photo | On the streets of Barcelona
Photo | Boz, Jorge, Ben talk about song writing
Photo | Ben, Boz and Jorge perform the songs
Gig | Madison, Capitol Theater - with Jorge Drexler, Boz Scaggs
Photo | On stage at the Cotton Club
Conversation | Ben Sidran Talking Jazz
Photo | The Artist Quarter, Minneapolis
Production | Talking Jazz Box Set
Photo | On stage, Grignan, France
Photo | In Morelia, Mexico
Photo | On stage at the Jazz Bakery, LA
Photo | Out of the pad in Paris
Photo | Painting with light
Photo | Ben and Georgie
Video | Lecture 'If You're Not Having Fun You're Doing It Wrong'
Photo | Jazz at 5 in Mad City
Gig | Grignan, France
Photo | Valencia, Spain
Photo | In Soria, Spain
Video | Ben Sidran Cien Noches at the Cafe Central, 2007
Photo | Local talent
Photo | The hall of mirrors
Photo | Goodbye
Photo | Party geishas in the hotel lobby
Photo | Running the voodoo down on stage
Photo | Running the voodoo down on stage
Photo | Ben and Georgie
Photo | The Fame / Sidran Quintet
Gig | Tokyo Cotton Club - With Georgie Fame, 2008
Gig | NY, Jazz Standard Organ Night
Album | Cien Noches
Photo | Rome book reading with music
Photo | View from the stage, Madrid, Spain
Photo | At the Sunset in Paris
Photo | Monte Carlo
Photo | Monte Carlo
Photo | Buddy Greco and Ben
Photo | Meanwhile back at the Cotton Club in Tokyo
Photo | Meanwhile back at the Cotton Club in Tokyo
Gig | Tokyo, Cotton Club - Nardis Review
Photo | Rehearsing for the Dylan project with Rodolphe Burger
Photo | Mad City autumn
Album | Dylan Different
Gig | Paris, Sunside - Dylan Different Band
Photo | The cave called The Jamboree in Barcelona
Photo | The Hotel Jazz
Photo | At the Guggenheim in Bilbao
Photo | Recording the music for Clementine’s 'Going Uptown' album.
Photo | Man at his best
Photo | The band in black
Photo | A different drummer
Photo | Ben watching soundcheck
Photo | Ben in Catania
Gig | Sicily, Caltanissetta - Quartet (Dylan Different)
Video | Love Minus Zero / Dylan Different Live At The New Morning
Photo | At the New Morning, Paris
Photo | The Montreal Jazz Festival
Video | Minneapolis rehearsal 'Highway 61'
Gig | Minneapolis, Dakota - Dylan Different
Gig | Tokyo, Cotton Club - Dylan Different
Photo | My Street
Album | Dylan Different Live at the New Morning
Gig | Paris, Sunside - Quartet + Rodolphe Burger (FIP Radio Broadcast, Interview and Concert)
Production | Going Uptown / Clementine
Video | Ben on One Shot Not with Manu Katché
Photo | Peter Straub, Lorrie Moore and Ben at the Algonquin
Photo | Ben in Ronciglioni, Italy
Photo | Ben in Ronciglioni, Italy
Photo | Las Palmas, Canary Islands
Photo | Just the Blues
Photo | The Blues and the Reds
Photo | Living the Dream
Gig | Vienna, Porgy and Bess - Quartet (Dylan Different Retirement Party)
Gig | Wisconsin Science Festival - The Present Moment (with Richie Davidson)
Video | Wisconsin Science Festival with Richie Davidson, 'Present Moment'
Video | Private Guy Original Demo
Photo | Distinguished Alumnus
Video | Phoenix, Musical Instrument Museum - Jews, Music and the American Dream - Performance and Lecture
Gig | Fall Book Tour 2012: Oct 13-November 8
Video | Wisconsin Book Festival - Jews, Music and the American Dream
Photo | A Paris Portrait
Photo | Take me to the Bridge
Writing | Don’t Cry For No Hipster: Lyrics
Video | New York, Center for Jewish History - Jews as culture brokers
Album | Don’t Cry For No Hipster
Gig | SPRING 2013 Gigs
Photo | Yoshis, Oakland
Photo | New York Masterminds: With Mark Ruffin and Tommy LiPuma
Video | The Pace Report: 'The Educated Hipster'
Photo | Barbes, Brooklyn
Video | Tokyo Cotton Club 'The King Of Harlem'
Photo | Backstage in Tokyo
Conversation | Ben on WTF with Marc Maron
Gig | FALL 2013 TOUR
Video | Paris, Sunset - 'Groove Is Gonna Get You Through Times Of No Money'
Photo | Barcelona, Jamboree - Quartet
Video | Atlanta Jewish Music Festival - Jews, Music and the American Dream
Video | New School For Jazz - Eyes of the Masters presentation
Photo | The Seine Changes
Video | TedX - Embrace Your Inner Hipster
Photo | Outside with my guide Clyde
Video | Dee's Dilemma - recording session
Video | Blue Camus EPK
Album | Blue Camus
Writing | Blue Camus Lyrics
Writing | A Life In The Music - Audio Book
Video | 2015 The Literary Year
Writing | Talking Jazz With Ben Sidran Volume 1
Writing | Talking Jazz With Ben Sidran Volume 2
Photo | With Andre DeShields
Gig | Copenhagen Jazzhus Montmartre
Video | Blacks, Jews and the American Dream
Conversation | Third Story Podcast: Welcome To Copenhagen
Photo | We’re Hip - with Leo Sidran, Bob Dorough, and Jamie Cullum
Conversation | Third Story Podcast: Inspiration comes from Life at the Newport Jazz Festival
Video | Rockburn Presents Ben Sidran
Video | Jazz Music Use It or Lose It
Video | National Writers Series
Photo | Cats in Paris
Conversation | What Paris Felt Like
Photo | With Paquito D’Rivera
Video | 'Picture Him Happy' live in Brooklyn
Writing | The Jazz Of Stuart Davis - Article
Photo | Clevage 1
Video | Ben on Bird
Photo | Stooping
Writing | Picture Him Happy Lyrics
Video | Picture Him Happy EPK
Video | Picture Him Happy - Lyric Video + Nightclub Intro
Album | Picture Him Happy
Video | MILES DAVIS on Dizzy and Drawing
Video | I Might Be Wrong - official video
Conversation | Ben on Neon Jazz with Joe Dimino
Video | SONNY ROLLINS on Monk and the Bridge
Photo | Laughing through the tears
Photo | In the swamp
Gig | MOBTOWN TOUR 2017
Video | I Might Be Wrong - on TSF Jazz in Paris
Gig | Madrid - Ellington at Juan March
Photo | Paris with Ricky Ford
Photo | Madrid, Gran Via
Video | Playing Ellington in Madrid
Production | The Madison Reunion
Video | Ben and Kurt Elling 'Doodlin'' in Chicago
Album | Ben There, Done That: Ben Sidran Live Around The World (1975-2015)
Video | The Funkasaurus
Video | Ben on 'Freethought Now'
Conversation | Ben on Jazz Inspired with Judy Carmichael
Photo | At The Green Mill Chicago
Photo | Atlanta Jewish Festival
Gig | Atlanta Jewish Music Festival
Video | We The People
Conversation | Madison Bookbeat Interview with Ben
Writing | The Ballad Of Tommy LiPuma
Video | Times Getting Tougher Than Tough
Video | It's All Been Done Before
Video | Who's The Old Guy Now
Writing | WHO'S THE OLD GUY NOW LYRICS
Gig | Solo Live Stream Concert
Video | Live Stream Concert - Stories and Songs
Conversation | Ben on Neranenah Scholars with Joe Alterman
Video | Old Wine, New Bottle (Video)
Video | Old Wine, New Bottle (Video)
Album | Who’s The Old Guy Now
Writing | There Was a Fire: Book
Video | Too Many People (Video)
Conversation | Ben on All That’s Jazz Podcast - AGAIN!
Video | Moment Magazine Zoominar: Jews, Music and the American Dream
Video | Moment Magazine Zoominar: Jews, Music and the American Dream
Video | Madison - 78th Birthday Show
Video | Madison - 78th Birthday Show
Video | Swing State
Video | Swing State (Official Video)
Album | Swing State
Gig | Madison - Cafe Coda
Video | Swing State EPK
Conversation | Ben at 79 On The Third Story Podcast
Gig | SPRING 2023 EUROPE DATES
Writing | The Songs Of Ben Sidran 1970-2020, Vol. 1
Gig | SUMMER 2023 MIDWEST DATES
Conversation | Fillius Jazz Archive at Hamilton College
Video | Humanity - Lyric Video
Video | Victime de la mode - Lyric video
Album | Rainmaker
Gig | SUMMER 2024 EUROPE DATES
Gig | 2024 SUMMER AND FALL
On The Live Side: Lyrics

On The Live Side: Lyrics

1987

ON THE LIVE SIDE

all lyrics © Bulldog Music


The Doctor’s Blues

Yes it’s alright to feel good, the doctor said it’s alright
It’s alright to feel good, the doctor said it’s alright
Feel good in the morning, baby feel good tonight

Read it in the papers, heard it on the evening news
Read it in the papers, heard it on the evening news
The doctor’s in town gonna blow away all your blues

Feel good, feel good, feel good that’s the only way
Feel good, feel good, feel good that’s the only way
You just got to feel good and I just got to play

Move in close now snuggle up to your radio
Move in close now snuggle up to your radio
Got some good news that you oughta know

Yes it’s alright to feel good, the doctor said it’s alright
It’s alright to feel good, the doctor said it’s just fine
Feel good in the morning, baby feel good tonight
Baby you’re mine
Feel good in the morning, feel good in the evening time
Nurse, would send in the next patient please?


Last Dance

It’s the last dance
It’s your last chance
Better find the one you came with
And make some romance
It’s the last dance
Pretty soon we got to go
We’re here right now baby but
Tomorrow I don’t know

It’s the last turn
It’s the last burn
Find the one you came with
And see what you can learn
It’s the last turn
Pretty soon we got to go
We’re here right now baby but
Tomorrow I don’t know

A Good Travel Agent

Some of you know I like to talk about the history of this music. I like to talk about the history so much that I can go on and on and on. To save you the pain of that experience I have managed to condense everything I know about jazz in America into three simple constituent parts.  And it is my belief that after I lay these three simple elements on you, you too will know everything you need to know about jazz music.  How can he do it, they ask?  Can he do it?  Yes indeed he can. 

You see I have studied scientifically how to synthesize this material, and in the caldron of knowledge known as the road, the bebop road, that goes on and on and on, I have boiled the information down to three little pearls of wisdom.

The most important thing about jazz in America – it has been true since the first note turned blue in 1902 – number one the most important thing in jazz?  It’s a bad romance.  You got to have a bad romance to play this music.  Now I don’t mean a little sad romance.  No baby.  I don’t mean a little one or two week affair that just turned square.  No buddy.  I mean a really, really bad hurt, somebody had to get their just desert.  And given all the bad romance in the world today, it’s a surprise there aren’t more jazz players trying to play with us here today.

Number two, the second most important thing in jazz, what could it be?  It’s a good travel agent.  The second most important thing in jazz music is a good travel agent.  Because nothing will get you out of town faster than a bad romance.  And I have proof of whereof I speak.  To whit:

Cast your mind back to that time when that note first turned blue, 1902.  The place, Lake Ponchetrain, Louisiana.  It’s a hot summer night, it’s August and the crickets are cricketing and the chirpings are chirping.  And out on the end of a pier, he’s got a cornet in one hand, he’s got his eyes on the prize way up in the skies, a wonderful trumpet player named Buddy Bolden.  Now let me ask you: how many people in the room here tonight have heard the music of Buddy Bolden?  No you’re lying brother.  You never heard Buddy Bolden.  Buddy Bolden never recorded.  He didn’t make record one.  And why?  He didn’t have a good travel agent.

But that same night, that same pier, that same moonlight, that same year, another young man had a horn in his hand but he had himself a better plan.  He picked it up and put it down: he got out of town.  He went to Chicago.  He went to Kansas City, Kansas, way beyond, San Francisco, Moscow, Bejing, Seoul.  I’m talking about Pops, Louis Armstrong.  That man had himself a terrific travel agent.  You got to get out and move if you want to keep this groove.

This song is really about a young man whose true love was blind
He was crying all the time
Thought he would find a new love
In Paris France (he’s gonna do the Paris dance)
But when he got to town all he found was he couldn’t speak French
(He was sitting on a bench)
All alone not mentioned embarrassed
Ah but music is the language of love (play on play)
Bud Powell was in town
So he thought he’d make it down
And order a round of the rarest
(wine that is)
But as so often happens in this world of travail and cheap wine
The ridiculous becomes sublime
(it’s part of the great design)
Your final reward,
It’s down at the end of the line
Because just then someone put a side on the box
And Bird flew bye like he was chasing a fox

Bird fluttered by
Sang a hipper melody from the sky
Bebop bebop
Nothing like the sound of bebop
It’s steady going on
And it won’t never stop

But I digress.  I promised you three simple constituent parts to take to your hearts and have so far delivered only two: let’s review.  Number one, the most important thing in jazz, a bad romance.  Number two, a good travel agent.  Number three.  What could it be?  I’ll tell you right now.  Sea Food.

Well what do you think Buddy Bolden was thinking about back there at Lake Ponchetrain?  I happen to know: Soft shell crab.  And what do you think got Louis Armstrong out of town so fast?  He was gonna go out with some trout.  But nobody said it better than that fine philosopher of jazz, Thomas “Fats” Waller.  He gave us those immortal lines, “Shrimp and rice, mighty nice. Give me some seafood mama!”
That’s what I want, you know what I need...

Nothing like the sound of bebop going on and it won’t never stop.


There They Go

There they go
Wasn’t that a swinging show
Did you hear the fella singing
Soft and low
You know they don’t write songs like that anymore
Just telling you what I know now

Long ago
I would take her to a movie show
Try to reach her in the feature
Soft and low
You know they don’t play scenes like that anymore
Just telling you what I know now

There they go
Saw them with my own eyes
There they go
Heard them much to my surprise
There they go there they go there they go
Don’t try to stop him’
There they go there they go there they go
You’ll never top him
There they go there they go there they go

And don’t you wonder where they go
When it’s time to turn the lights down low
Did you hear him on the alto sax, he’s blowing facts
He’s blowing mysteries of life I believe
Phil Woods blow one more time before you leave

There he goes
Saw him with my own eyes
There he goes
Heard him much to my surprise
There he goes there he goes there he goes
You’ll never top him
There he goes there he goes there he goes
You’ll never stop him
There he goes there he goes there he goes
You’ll never match him
There he goes there he goes there he goes
You’ll never catch him

There he goes