Live Music @ Purple Cow Vineyards: Ben Rice & Friends

Ben Rice & Friends:

March 21st Starting at 8:30pm
Ticke ts are $10 or $8 for Wine Club Members & Industry


Ben Rice and the iLLamatics were the Cascade Blues Association’s representatives
at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, where they
placed a s one of the top nine finalists out of 250 acts from around the world.
Ben, at 25 is a growing force in the NW Blues scene. Ben Rice brings vi ntage
blues into the modern era. Twisting soul, roots blues, and west coast blues with
rockabilly, funk, and rock. Ben Rice, as Lloyd Jon es put, “gets it.” Along with
their music is an exhilarating stage sho w featuring, cigar box guitars, resonators,
and lots of crowd intera ction. Ben Rice has already been established as a
virtuosic guitar play er with a soulful voice. His inventive twists on blues are
creating a b uzz up and down the West coast. Winning the 2013 Male Vocalist
and Trad itional Act of the Year from the Cascade Blues Association as well as
P erformance and Acoustic Guitar of the Year from the West Side Blues Soci ety.
Ben’s last all original CD, “Pour Me Some Whiskey” is being among the best CD
releases from the Northwest. Although Rice is young, he h as a lot of experience.
Playing alongside some of the top musicians in the National Blues Scene. First
picking up his fathers nylon stringed g uitar at five, he now has twenty years of
playing, numerous awards, nominations, and a music degree from the University
of Oregon. In a mu sical world saturated with young guitarists, his reputation
is buildin g. Not as a “hot rod guitar player” but as a good band leader, great
s ongwriter, wonderful performer, soul inspiring singer, and a guitar p layer that
can do it all, “Of course he does, it’s Ben, he can do ev erything



AWARDS
2015 Best Guitar Award International Blues Cha llenge (Solo/Duo Competition)
-National Blues Foundation

2015 Finalist at the International Blues Challenge (Solo/Duo Competition)
-National Blues Foundation
\ n2014 "Curtis Salgado" Male Vocalist of the Year
-Cascade Blues Association

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