.NEB.NEB is Back!!!

at the Sound Pony Nov. 6th 10pm

Be There! Bicycle There!

1221
BEN.BEN.: New Stone Works
Debut CD Release Celebration
December 21, 2008, at The Blank Slate (1st and Detroit Ave.)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
$5 admission. Doors open at 8 pm. Shows at 9 pm and 11 pm.
All ages. No smoking. General admission with seating.
Art by Ren & Lucio
Visit the artists at The Hub/Amalgam Imgigma Records information booth.

Amalgam Imgigma recording artist BEN.BEN. invites you to celebrate the release of its
debut, wide-release EP New Stone Works. The evening will be accompanied by stunningly cryptic and original art by Ren and Lucio, designed with BEN.BEN. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the artists and see the original painting that is the cover of New Stone Works. The Blank Slate will house not only the art from the CD package, but also works from last year's 1221 celebration and more, giving concert goers a whirlwind tour through The Unwind.

BEN.BEN. and Amalgam Imgigma recently debuted with the "fantastic and mesmerizing" Sir Threadius Mongus album This Is Sir Threadius Mongus, a much heralded work. This latest offering from Amalgam Imgigma Records will only add to the lore and the mystique.

The sounds of BEN.BEN. will be reproduced this evening by the following cast of characters:
Phemoffenitt (guitar), Annie Anne (vocals), Jae Ekae Rokums (drums), Dostotstinphen
(keyboards), Amhloriyanos (Vibraphone) and Sol Dogatto (bass).

The Tulsa cast for this evening's production will include Annie Ellicott, Jeff Davis, Cris Foster, Matt Hayes, Nic Foster and Jonathan Taylor.

Tulsa Hub is a 501(c)(3) organization that operates as a human power incubator fostering individual motility, wellness, and sustainability. Programs include the Community Cycling Project, a Youth Vocational Training Program, several creative endeavors, and a burgeoning transit commuter station. Help us vitalize Tulsa with a new kind of energy.

Ready to take over the world, BEN.BEN. has designed a third-eye–crushing, cryptic, muscular, and entheogenic rock and roll fantasy. Candy for your eyes and ears.

The lot has been cast. This album will place BEN.BEN. in elite company.

www.amalgamimgigma.com

www.myspace.com/benbenpresents

tulsahub@live.com

A breath of fresh music

The other night I witnessed a major step toward Tulsa's place on the world music map. I was invited to a private showcase and recording session to hear BEN.BEN.

BEN.BEN. is:

Jeff Davis – guitar, vocals, compostition
Annie Ellicott – vocals
Brian Haas – rhodes
Cris Foster – bass
Jonathan Taylor – drums

As a musician, I try to avoid the limits imposed by labeling fine progressive music. So as I overheard a guest pondering "what type of music is this," I had to smile and think, "You don't know do you?" which is a good thing. Still, I considered assigning several genres to BEN.BEN. I stopped after hearing someone say "world music" and thought—sure if it needs a handle, that one's OK.

At this point, I want to acknowledge Brian Haas, Reed Mathis, Jason Smart, Matt Edwards (JFJO) and others, for insisting Tulsa be exposed to fine progressive music, already. BEN.BEN. joins this effort.

With apologies to Jeff Davis for my inattention to song titles, I will describe what I saw and heard:

The group is set up at one end of a rather small room, with baffles serving as walls that leave several feet of air space between the tops and the ceiling. They are set up in a very efficient semicircle, making eye contact between musicians easy for all five. To assist recording isolation, there is a simple, low baffle placed between the drums and the keyboard. Travis Fite runs the recorded and live sound from a small console, also within the semicircle. In addition, Travis provides the minimalist, state-of-the-art Bose PA. From the first selection, the need for eye contact is apparent. The songs are characterized by frequent and unusual time signature changes as well as vocals entering and exiting at unexpected moments. I find myself constantly and pleasantly surprised.

Annie Ellicott mixes intricate precision vocals with rich beautiful passages in both alto and soprano range. Her ability to enter and exit at such odd times still escapes me. But since Jeff joins her often and accurately on harmony, I know they're on the same page.

Jeff Davis's writing is cerebral and fresh. His work on guitar is melodic, unassuming, and a perfect compliment to the ensemble. Adding his vocal harmony to Annie's voice creates a natural and dynamic blend.

Cris Foster's driving energy and expertise on bass commands respect, especially in light of the time signature changes.

Jonathan Taylor's eyes dart from Cris, to the chart, to Brian and back to Cris, gliding through time changes and always smiling. Taylor is one of the most attentive and focused drummers this musician has ever seen.

Then there's Brian Haas, furiously reading Jeff's unusual charts, and bringing his signature keyboard style and infectious positive influence to BEN.BEN.

Finally, one cannot help being excited about and entertained by 5 artists who individually and collectively sound like and appear to be happily improving their art. When you come out for this experience (and you should), leave all conventional notions of music behind and enjoy BEN.BEN. like it's your first time listening.

—Rod Ellicott

Hello friends,

BEN.BEN. is pleased to present The Mingus Continental & Other Fables (The Era of Great Truth or iyanoskominé): our most august attempt to date detailing, transcribing, portraying, and mirroring the chinoiserie of the incantation—the Unwind.

Tonight's performance, amidst the auburn afterglow of the rising moon's eclipse (Upward Behind the Onstreaming it Mooned), will as prophesied, abcd dief lfffshs ijfe os the symbolism of the BEN.BEN. and its health-driven mantra Unwind Your Spine correlating to the former as well as promul i. daeormes and his identidem or rebirth motifs to that of the latter . . .

All esoterica, obfuscation ("… to darken the dark side."), and intergalactic phenomena ("… in the shadows.") aside, we are very grateful for the interest shown in the band and specifically this performance. We would like to extend our apologies to those who wished to attend but were unable to obtain an invitation. The list of invited guests was not intended as a popularity contest—we were allotted only 56 invitations (per the requirements of the space). As a result of and owing to intense interest, we have reserved the Blue Dome Theater, a 300+ capacity venue for all ages, scheduled for the 12^th of May, for an extravaganza with BEN.BEN., Shuffle Band, .NEB.NEB POSH-CROW & others performing!