Bluesman Sean Benjamin’s career began at a young age playing
lead
guitar with “The Outcasts” in Pleasentville, NY in 1966-67.
In 1969
he moved to Cambridge, MA first joining “Orange Wedge”
and
then, still in his teens – playing lead for “Jake &
The Family
Jewels” backing the legendary Bo Diddley for a series
of concerts.
By 1972, Benjamin was taking lessons from Paul Lenert
(later
of T-Bone Walker’s Band) and friend, “Steady Rollin’
Bob Margolin
(Muddy Waters Band). He performed with Lenert at
Windom College in
Vermont in front of a crowd of 8000.
In 1973, Benjamin joined Bill Briggs (Barry & The
Remains) in
“Funky Potatoes”. The Remains had earlier released
several
albums on national labels and opened for The Beatles
on their last
USA tour. While in New York, Benjamin met and befriended
the
late John Lennon (The Beatles).
Later in 1973, Benjamin’s father found work in Lincoln,
NE.
Sean immediately sought out the major blues players in
Lincoln
(Jim Cidlik and Dave Trupp) and joined their band.
Sean returned to
the East Coast after school in 1974 and joined up with
former
“Blues Project” founder, Tommy Flanders. Flanders
later performed
material with Eric Anderson on Verve Records.
They recorded
at Phil Ramone’s A&R Studio’s & played at Richie
Haven’s Café
Wha. They negotiated record deals with ABC Dunhill
& Don
Kirschner Records, which never materialized.
Sean then joined up with Phil Greene (Warner Bros Records)
&
Kenny Lyons (Columbia Records). Sean & Green
composed “Love
Me The Way I Am” & the proceeds went to form Normandy
Studios in
Warren, Rhode Island.
In 1975 Sean met and studied guitar from the great Aaron
“T-Bone”
Walker. Walker had moved to piano & vocals
by then, and Sean
was hired to play lead in his band. However, after
playing gigs with
Walker at “Jacks”, Walker passed away before Sean could
spend
more time in his band.
In 1976, Sean joined The Back Slap Blues Band in Petersborough,
NH (later to be “Roomful of Blues” – still a major recording
and touring band.)
In 1977 – he was called back to Nebraska by Larry Boehmer,
owner of the Zoo Bar (one of the great Blues Bars in
the USA).
Since 1977 – Sean has played lead and recorded
with “Little
Jimmy Valentine & The Heartmurmers”, “Cocktail Shorty
& The Tablerockers” and
“Not All There” – all great Zoo Bar House
Bands. Recordings of all of these groups have been
released on
Vinyl, Tape or CD. The “Heartmurmers”
LIVE AT THE ZOO BAR
vinyl LP, featuring Benjamin on lead guitar, is one of
the best live blues
albums ever recorded. It was recently reissued
on CD. He also
recorded an excellent vinyl-45 with picture sleeve,
along with Jim Cidlik
Benjamin has lived and performed in Lincoln, NE since
1977. He
has backed literally every “name blues artist” in the
country to
acclaim. His live performances with “blues legends”
read like a
history book of blues. He just completed a series
of recordings with Nebraska’s first
“rocker”, Bobby Lowell. He recently formed “The
Cruisers” with great Nebraska rockers Jeff Travis (“The
Coachmen”),
and Dave Robel (“Charlie Burton”), playing “in your face”
rock &
roll and blues ala “The Fabulous Thunderbirds”.
Sean Benjamin although still in his 40’s has the credentials
of
“Bluesmen” much older. He is one of
the “nice guys” of
blues-rock in Nebraska, and is respected as a live performer,
recording artist, songwriter and vocalist throughout
the country.
Always mindful of his Nebraska roots over the last
30 years,
Benjamin continually lauds the performances of others
and the
importance “Midwest Blues” has played in the national
scene…never
placing himself into the formula. It is fitting
and timely to induct Sean Benjamin into
The Nebraska Music Hall of Fame in 2000.
