Season 5 Episode 6 Ben & Leo Sidran

All That's Jazz

The best description of Ben Sidran comes from his son, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and fellow podcaster, Leo Sidran: “In a career spanning over fifty years and thirty five records, Ben Sidran has established himself as a philosopher poet. Equally celebrated for his precise, probing writing style as he is for his improvised spoken word jazz raps, he has carved out a truly unique space for himself. The Times of London aptly described Ben as ‘the world’s first existential jazz rapper,’ and The Chicago Sun Times once referred to him as ‘a renaissance man cast adrift in the modern world.’ He is one of a kind.”

This is my third episode with Ben, who graciously allows us to use his piece “Mr. P’s Shuffle” as our theme song, and my second with Leo. To have them together discussing Ben’s latest album titled ‘Rainmaker’ is not only a thrill, but an honor.

Ben describes how ‘Rainmaker’ started this way: “The original idea for Rainmaker was to throw a party in a Paris recording studio in honor of my 80th birthday. I saw it as a way to celebrate the survival of so many things, including myself, a life without borders, and my friendship with so many musicians abroad.”

Of course, it’s only the beginning, because that’s how conversations with Ben and Leo go. So, sit back and immerse yourself in this freewheeling conversation with samples from ‘Rainmaker.’ By the end, you’ll be jumping on your favorite platform to hear more.