Jessie Willis – Live Jazz!
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Jessie Wills – Vocals
Joe DeFazio – Piano
Benjamin May – Bass
Address: 703 Main St, Pittsburgh, PA 15215
Phone: (412) 408-3038
Reservations: spotapps.co
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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.
pittsburgh philharmonic podcast
Hosted by Benjamin May, Principal Bass of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, this podcast explores the history of the orchestra and features interviews with its musicians.
Performance calendar
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- 18Pittsburgh Philharmonic concert4:00 pm - 6:00 pmI will be playing principal Bass with the philharmonic for our Mother’s Day concert of 2026! Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Check out the new Philharmonic Podcast! , ...
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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
| Artist | Album | Released | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Elliot | The Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra featuring Vocalworks & Amy Weston | 1994 | Wayland Records |
| Dan St. Marseille | Retrospection | 1995 | Resurgent Music |
| Barbara Morrison | I Know How to Do It | 1997 | Chartmaker Records |
| Charles Rutherford | Collage | 1997 | Sea Breeze Records |
| Sherwood Sledge | Love Me By Name | 1999 | Maywood Records |
| Ron Escheté | The Beatles: Instrumental Jazz Tribute | 2000 | Sugo Records |
| Dewey Earney | Christmas Time is Here | 2000 | Resurgent Music |
| Beth Fitchet Wood | Silos | 2001 | Maywood Records |
| Judy Chamberlain | Road Trip | 2002 | JazzBabyRecords |
| Dragana | I Still Feel You | 2002 | CD Baby |
| Dewey Earney | Standards of Excellence, Volume 1, Dearly Beloved | 2003 | Resurgent Music |
| Dewey Earney | Standards of Excellence , Volume 3 | Resurgent Music | |
| The Baroqueleles | Meet the Baroqueleles | 2005 | CD Baby |
| The Baroqueleles | A Baroquelele Christmas | 2005 | CD Baby |
| Rick Blessing | I'm Just The Guy For You | 2007 | |
| Janice Anderson | The Sweetest Sounds | 2013 | CD Baby |
| Brynn Stanley | Classic | 2017 | SonoPath Productions |
Feeling Nostalgic?
Check out our beautiful jazz ensemble, Mode Indigo. Nostalgic music with a twist for special occasions.