Biography

“Spiraling saxophone work” - Rolling Stone

“Powling mines a rich vein of Coltrane-isms” - London Jazz News

“Forceful Coltrane-inspired tenor” - The Jazz Man

“With his big Dexter Gordon sound [Powling] not only stayed in the race but won hands down” - Bebop Spoken Here

Since graduating Leeds Conservatoire in 2013, tenor saxophonist Ben Powling has performed extensively as a sideman and leader across the UK, Europe and Asia honing a personal style based in a love of 60s jazz, West African musical styles and punk rock. Ben is co-leader and composer of Vipertime and also a member of Sam Quintana’s contemporary jazz ensemble Wandering Monster, award winning jazz-punks WorldService Project, Ben Haskins Quartet, Howlin’ Ric & The Rocketeers, Rob Heron & The Teapad Orchestra, and works extensively with Ghanaian singer and percussionist Kweku Sackey aka K.O.G.

Notable gigs with these groups include Berlin Jazz Festival, Ronnie, Scotts, Isle of Wight Festival, NH7 Festival Pune, Goa Jazz Festival, Cork Jazz Festival, International Jazz Festival Saalfelden, Manchester Jazz Festival, The Great Escape, Greenman Festival and Shambala. His music has been featured on BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and Worldwide FM and in 2019 his group Mansion of Snakes were winners of the PRS For Music Emerging Artists Fund.

As well as performing, Ben has made a committed effort to building and nurturing the Leeds jazz scene. In 2018 he and venue owner Jack Simpson curated and released To Be Here Now, a vinyl and digital compilation of Leeds jazz released on their label HPBC Records. The LP was featured by Gilles Peterson on his BBC 6 Music UK Jazz special along with an interview with Ben.