Cover photo © 2025 Laura Carbone
Why are audiences so drawn to the sound of a big band? Is it for nostalgic reasons, as it reminds listeners of a time that seemed happier, when leaders like Duke Ellington and Count Basie thrilled audiences with their high-energy sound? Or maybe it’s that a big band provides the benefit of hearing many different types of instruments, but unlike a highly structured orchestra, it’s still small enough for audiences to enjoy dynamic solos filled with exciting improvisation.
Whatever it is, it is clear that there is something special about seeing the bigger bands like Roomful of Blues, Dumpstaphunk, and the latest version of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s band. Joining their ranks from across the Canadian border is the extremely talented Ben Racine Band, whose debut album “One of a Kind” received a 2013 Maple Blues Award nomination. Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity recently to catch up with the band’s leader, Ben Racine, via a zoom interview.
Ben (whose first name is actually Benoit, his mother’s maiden name), grew up with uncles and a grandmother who played piano, and his mother used to play guitar and sing. Like many musicians, his interest in the blues was sparked by his parents’ record collection.
“My parents’ record collection had a lot to do with it. There was a lot of rock and roll like Little Richard. That early rock and roll was pretty much a blues song. It sowed the seeds. One 45 rpm from my parents’ collection really stood out for me. It was The Yardbirds, called “Steeled Blues”. It had a slide guitar on it and that really floored me. I was wondering, ‘What is that sound? Then, later on, I started researching a bit and discovered artists like Howling Wolf and Robert Johnson.”
Ben started playing guitar at the age of 11 but then sidetracked a bit as the drummer in his high school band. He was introduced to the professional side of music very early.
“I was already writing songs and playing in bars, even though I wasn’t old enough to drink in the bars yet. After high school I went to the equivalent of a junior college to learn the technical and theoretical side. I could have gone on to the university, but I was so eager to get going playing music and I decided, ‘why put myself in debt?”
When asked about the artists that influenced his playing, Ben noted the difference between influences and inspiration.
“I think it’s up to others to say what influenced me. I know who inspired me. Who can play the blues and say BB King and Albert King didn’t inspire them? Or Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi—I play nothing like them, but inspiration makes you want to learn more. And Colin James inspired me a lot. He was playing all the time on the old video channels when I was a kid. Colin was a huge fire-stoker. And the band, Big Wreck. They’re not blues, but it still digs into you and makes you want to play more.
Ben is the vocalist and guitarist for the band, and other band members include Kaven Jalbert on tenor Sax, Mat “Moose” Mousseau on baritone sax, Francois Dube on bass, Nicky Estor on Drums, and Charles Trudel on keyboards. Several of the band members have been nominated for Maple Blues awards, recognizing them as the best on their instruments. However, Ben chose his bandmates based on more than just their impressive musical talent. Their albums consist primarily of original compositions.
“My band has always had a family feel. You have to be a good player, but we also have to have fun. We’re all interested in having fun together. When I write sometimes the music comes first and sometimes the lyrics come first. Sometimes there is just a spark of something, a phrase that will strike me and I will write it down. Sometimes it is just a groove that comes to me, and I’ll lay it down on an acoustic guitar, and let the music speak to me. It varies.”
Ben’s band is often seen backing the immensely talented singer from Montreal, Dawn Tyler Watson. They began touring together and Ben’s band backed her for her 2016 album “Jawbreaker”. Together they went on to win the International Blues Challenge in 2017 for the best band and, at that event, Ben also won the Albert King Award for guitar player of the year.
“My band had been going for about five or six years, and we shared the same booking agent, Brian Slack. Dawn had just split from performing for about 13 years as a duo with Paul DesLauriers and Brian was looking for a band to back her. He took her to one of our shows and gave her our first album and she really liked the vibe. So, we tried it out and backing her has been so much fun. For the IBCs, Dawn had just had triple bypass surgery, and the doctors were telling her she needed another three months of time to recover, so we were saying, ‘don’t worry, we can try next year.’ But she was so gung-ho—she said, ‘No—we’re going’. That night had some solid talent, so I was just hoping we would be in the top three. And when they announced that I had won the guitar player award, they pronounced it “Raysin”, so I was looking around for Ben Raysin thinking I didn’t know who that guy was, and it turned out they were calling my name. So, after getting the award, I was having a chat with Jonn del toro Richardson about the amp, (because he is sponsored by Category 5, who makes the amp), and I was just shaking hands with him, thanking him and thinking the night could not get any better and they then announced that we had won the overall competition. If someone had pitched the whole story for a movie, they would say take it back and make it more believable, but it was true.”
Dawn was happy to explain just why she is so happy to have so many opportunities to play with Ben and his band. She noted, “Ben is one of the most talented and underrated artists I know. He is heavily responsible for the success of my last two albums. He’s a brilliant singer, songwriter, and arranger. His effortless vocal harmonies and attentive presence onstage make him a joy to play with every time.”
The collaboration with Dawn has become so popular that it is sometimes difficult for Ben to schedule gigs just for his own band.
“It can become hard to have time to have Ben Racine gigs because the schedule is packed with Dawn gigs. But there’s nothing stopping me from just recording another album. I’ve been writing some stuff, straying a bit from what we’ve done before. It will still be blues-infused, but I’m not sure what direction it will be tinted. Maybe a bit of a folk singer/songwriter feeling, but always with a dose of blues and soul. I might want to write in both languages. I’d like to revisit some of my original songs and write it in French.”
It has become increasingly more difficult for any non-US band to play in the United States, and it is a challenge for larger bands to get booked regardless of where they are located or hoping to play.
“Of course, it’s hard in this economy for promoters to pay for additional plane tickets and hotel rooms when they can maybe find a trio instead. And there’s the whole work permit issue that can get complicated when coming to the States, with all of the paperwork and declarations. It makes it hard on us to come, but in a way I understand. Canada can be that way too. They will try to promote and put forth as much Canadian content as possible and when someone suggests international artists they tend to think, “well, we have talent right here”. If I put myself in their shoes, I can certainly understand that the US wants to primarily promote American talent. But I want to play everywhere!”
When asked which artists he would like to collaborate if given the chance, Ben noted that despite them being both Canadians who have been booked at the same festival, he has not yet had the chance to play with Colin James.
“Colin is definitely a bucket list person, and Tab (Benoit) would be fun, but I would most like to play with Danielle Nicole. That would be awesome. And that’s coming from someone who gets to play with a world class singer all the time! But Danielle really has something special, and she holds court on that bass too.”
A collaboration with Daniell Nicole would be wonderful, for sure. But then again, any collaboration that includes Ben Racine and his band would be worth seeing. You can learn more about this talented musician and his band, and find out where to see them next, by visiting www.benracineband.com.
