The Ben Goldman Project is a jazz ensemble out of Champaign, IL with a “fresh take on Jazz” (Top40-charts.com). The group is a flexible ensemble that can take on many instrumentation and performers. As a quintet, we consist of Ben Goldman on drums, Jesus Fuentes on piano, Reginald Lewis on tenor saxophone, Will Schmalbeck on trumpet, and Mitchell Maftean on bass. Each member of the Ben Goldman Project has had national and international success in their own right as performers and educators, from performances at Disney Hall, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Walton Arts Center, and The Chautauqua Institution.
Goldman’s music is heavily influenced by his explorations of world-percussion. His 2018 project or original music, Glen Boldman and the Philadelphia 5 was hailed as “vibey, groovy, and fun” (LemonWire) and “with a winning sound that features a wide diversity of jazz” (Chalked Up Reviews).
Testimonials
I have been fortunate these past two years to have a musician like Ben who can operate in all of these genres and who can command respect from his peers. Ben is a first rate musician, and very creative performer, a wonderful teacher, and a fine communicator