BENJAMIN MAY

Musician, Arranger, Music Educator

About Me

After many years of classical training, I moved to the Los Angeles area to pursue performing jazz full time. With 35 years and 14,000+ performances in LA, I have amassed a great deal of real life experience on the stage that I use to enrich and encourage the students I work with. In addition, I worked as an instrumental aid, full time, for over 20 years in Long Beach Unified School District.

In 2023, I relocated to Pittsburgh and I am now actively a part of the jazz scene. In 2024, I became a member of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic as principal bass.

Performance calendar

Monthly Weekly Daily List Tile

June 2025

SU
MO
TU
WE
TH
FR
SA
1
Con Alma with Etta Cox
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Etta Cox – Vocals Mark Strickland – Guitar Benjamin May – Bass Rich Zabinski – Drums   Address: 613 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 932-2387 Menu: conalmapgh.com Reservations: exploretock.com , ...
2
3
Tony Campbell Jam session
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tony Campbell – Saxophone hosts the Tuesday Jam session at Con Alma with:   Benjamin May – Bass Jason Washington – Drums Bring your horn or your axe and sit in with us! Located in: The Roosevelt Building Address: 613 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours:  Opens 5 PM Phone: (412) , ...
4
Private Party
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
, ...
5
Private Party
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
, ...
6
7
Private Party
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
, ...
8
9
10
Tony Campbell Jam session
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tony Campbell – Saxophone hosts the Tuesday Jam session at Con Alma with:   Benjamin May – Bass Jason Washington – Drums Bring your horn or your axe and sit in with us! Located in: The Roosevelt Building Address: 613 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours:  Opens 5 PM Phone: (412) , ...
11
12
13
Rich Zabinski quartet Live Jazz
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Rich Zabinski – Drums Howie Alexander – Piano Benjamin May – Bass Reggie Watkins – Trombone Steubenville Jazz Festival N 4th Street Steubenville, OH https://www.bandsintown.com/f/174065?came_from=253   , ...
14
Mode Indigo Live!
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Fairmont Hotel Located in: Three PNC Plaza Address: 510 Market St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 773-8800 , ...
15
16
17
Tony Campbell Jam session
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tony Campbell – Saxophone hosts the Tuesday Jam session at Con Alma with:   Benjamin May – Bass Jason Washington – Drums Bring your horn or your axe and sit in with us! Located in: The Roosevelt Building Address: 613 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours:  Opens 5 PM Phone: (412) , ...
18
19
20
21
Benjamin May duo
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Please come join me as I play listening music with- Kenny Stockard – Vocals   Fairmont Hotel Located in: Three PNC Plaza Address: 510 Market St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 773-8800 , ...
22
Praise Service
10:00 am - 11:00 am
I will be joining the praise team on piano at Union church. 6165 Steubenville Pike, McKees Rocks PA   , ...
23
24
Tony Campbell Jam session
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tony Campbell – Saxophone hosts the Tuesday Jam session at Con Alma with:   Benjamin May – Bass Jason Washington – Drums Bring your horn or your axe and sit in with us! Located in: The Roosevelt Building Address: 613 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Hours:  Opens 5 PM Phone: (412) , ...
25
26
Rich Zabinski Quartet
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Come see me with the Rich Zabinski quartet at Kingfly spirits in the Strip District. Rich Zabinski- Drums Howie Alexander- Piano Benjamin May- Bass   Eric DeFade – Saxophone For reservations, call: 412.392.8928 , ...
27
28
Benjamin May duo
8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Please come join me as I play nice jazz with- Mary Kay Riley – Vocals   Fairmont Hotel Located in: Three PNC Plaza Address: 510 Market St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: (412) 773-8800 , ...
29
30
1
2
3
4
5

My Journey

As a freelance bassist, I have worked with countless singers and music groups ranging from full big bands or symphony orchestras, to small combos like quintets or as small as a duo. Some notables I have performed with include: Joe Pass, Rosemary Clooney, Anita O’Day, Annie Ross, Bonnie Raitt, Ben Vereen, Bill Henderson, Barbara Morrison, Llew Matthews, Johnny Crawford, Bill Elliot, Al Viola, Frank Sinatra Jr., Seth MacFarlane, just to name a few. A have also opened for Joe Zawinul, and Tony Bennett. As a recording artist, I have recorded on over 40 CDs for various artists and projects.

Discography

ArtistAlbumReleasedLabel
Bill ElliotThe Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra featuring Vocalworks & Amy Weston1994Wayland Records
Dan St. MarseilleRetrospection1995Resurgent Music
Barbara MorrisonI Know How to Do It1997Chartmaker Records
Charles RutherfordCollage1997Sea Breeze Records
Sherwood SledgeLove Me By Name1999Maywood Records
Ron EschetéThe Beatles: Instrumental Jazz Tribute2000Sugo Records
Dewey EarneyChristmas Time is Here2000Resurgent Music
Beth Fitchet WoodSilos2001Maywood Records
Judy ChamberlainRoad Trip2002JazzBabyRecords
DraganaI Still Feel You2002CD Baby
Dewey EarneyStandards of Excellence, Volume 1, Dearly Beloved2003Resurgent Music
Dewey EarneyStandards of Excellence , Volume 3Resurgent Music
The BaroquelelesMeet the Baroqueleles2005CD Baby
The BaroquelelesA Baroquelele Christmas2005CD Baby
Rick BlessingI'm Just The Guy For You2007
Janice AndersonThe Sweetest Sounds2013CD Baby
Brynn StanleyClassic2017SonoPath Productions

Find Out More

My musical hobbies include being a multi-instrumentalist, collecting instruments, arranging and composing, and expanding my musical horizons to new influences and opportunities to learn and grow as a musician.

Feeling Nostalgic?

Check out our beautiful jazz ensemble, Mode Indigo. Nostalgic music with a twist for special occasions.