Musician. That would describe Ben.

And musician includes songwriter, singer, composer, acoustic and electric guitarist, electronic music producer, lyricist, even classical guitarist. Growing up in Manlius, New York, Benjamin de la Garza Bassett began taking guitar lessons at the age of twelve. His ambition then was to be a rock musician like his idol, Jimi Hendrix. A local teacher, Gordon Moore, got him started on guitar styles ranging from blues to classical. In high school, he played trombone in the school band and jazz ensemble, but whenever he could, he played his electric guitar. He could most often be found jamming with his musician friends.

When it came time for college, he went to Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York to study with Steve Brown in the jazz guitar program. Although he did not major in music, he credits Brown with introducing him to a more complex and higher level of musicianship. And it was in Ithaca that Ben and a group of fellow rockers formed the band Ownership of the Head. The band included Ben Didsbury on bass, Jeremy Fogel on percussion, and Ben as lead guitarist. The progressive rock band quickly acquired a following and played at clubs in and around Ithaca.

After graduation, Ben and the band headed to New Jersey with their sights set on success in a bigger metropolitan area. After two years and moderate success, the stresses of earning a paycheck and trying to make a name for themselves resulted in the separation of the band's members. A serious bout with manic-depression, i.e. bi-polar disorder, also made it difficult for Ben to continue in New Jersey.

A door shut, but windows opened little by little, and back in Manlius and Syracuse, Ben began exploring other musical genres. Always an introspective poet, he discovered that rapping could give voice to his personal story, a story dealing with the storms of psychosis and mania and the struggle to arrive on a better shore. He found an appreciative audience. With DJ Afar, Nahshon Council, at his side, he performed at venues in Syracuse, Ithaca, and New York City. Unable to play guitar because of the effects of medication, he studied and excelled at electronic music and looping. He produced a CD of his rap music, The Fantasy Wire.

After a long-overdue change in medication, his dexterity as a guitarist slowly returned, and then surpassed his previous skill. With renewed confidence, he began writing and performing music which included more introspective lyrics, more sophisticated electronic music, and haunting melodies on the guitar that wound their way around the lyrics and loops. He produced a second CD, Listening to Ghosts.

An interesting transition now occurred. How does a rap artist who works with a DJ and how does an electric guitarist who has invested hours in producing electronic music decide to become a solo guitarist? He falls in love — with an acoustic guitar!

One day Ben walked into a guitar store and browsed; he picked up one guitar, then another. He had never had an acoustic guitar, spending his time with a series of electrics as well as a classical guitar. He felt it had come time to experiment with acoustics. People walked in and out of the room where he was playing, some pausing to listen. Melodies flowed from his fingertips, as he pondered the nuances of each guitar. Then he saw it, hanging on the wall, mellow wood and steel strings begging to be played. The minute he began playing the guitar, he knew he had found the instrument that would take him to the next stage of his musical career.

Since that fateful meeting, Ben has devoted himself to acoustic guitar. Finger picking with inspiration from Michael Hedges and maybe Segovia and Julian Bream, he has developed a style that is all his. He has played gigs all over Central New York, entrancing audiences with covers of his favorite songs and a growing number of original works. Now, he has written and recorded fourteen songs that feature him as composer, songwriter, singer, and as one of the most expressive and original acoustic guitarists on the horizon today. You will want to listen to him, you need to! His message is more hopeful than ever, his own life insights clarified and expanded by his experiences working in the field of mental health. His newest CD is Ride Free.

The temptation is to think that with his return to solo guitar work, the evolution of Ben de la Garza Bassett is now complete, the circle is complete. But the wonderful thing is that his potential is boundless. Stay tuned!!!!!!