The Quepos Bridge Club plays at 12 noon every Tuesday at Dos Locos Restaurant.
BenJammin & the Howlers
By Jim Parisi
Rock and Roll has had an element of humor and playfulness since its inception; it is simply a part of its inherent makeup. Sure, there is a serious side, as well: the musicianship has always been concrete and the messages diverse, be they political, philosophical or romantic. But the whimsical part has always been there, throughout the history of Rock and Roll. Ben Orton has been a serious Rock and Roll musician with a serious funny bone for more than twenty years. Born near Champagne, Ill, he relocated to the Ozark Mountains and Fayetteville, Ark to pursue his college degree “in three easy decades” as he has explained it. Ben has spent time living in Seattle, India and Iran as he took the long road to eventually come to Costa Rica and live in the Quepos/Jaco area. On his way here, he paid his dues, including playing bass guitar and recording with a biker/porno band, and then released his first solo project, “Ben Orton & Other Infamous Fugitives”, a good, straight-forward rollicking, rocking album. He recently released his first album from Costa Rica, a self-produced CD entitled “Hecho en Costa Rica” along with his band BenJammin and the Howlers. All the songs are Ben’s original material and the album was recorded in Jaco and Quepos.
The disc kicks off with the light-hearted “Under the Coconut Tree” showcasing Ben’s tendency toward the whimsical (“Look up! Look out!”) I do want to mention that Sr. Orton does display a more serious side. To be sure, his guitar playing is seriously good stuff. I cannot stress this point enough: Ben rips it up on his guitar(s). In the category of serious subject matter for his song selections, I think Ben’s “Leave the World Alone” sums it up nicely. The tune reminds me a little of Country Joe McDonald’s style. Other tongue-in-cheek titles include “Tico Time” and “Have a Toke & Think About It”.
Joining Ben on the album are the members of the group The Howlers: Karen Saith on the bouncy, bubbly bass, Mad Harold on steady drums, Chris “Safe Sax” Avery on saxophone, most notably the tasty chops on “Didn’t Woke Up”, and Panama Kenny on the occasional bongo.
Buyer and reader warning: do NOT take the disc off after the last song listed. Wait! There is a “hidden” track that is well worth waiting for, a song that Ben sends out to “his mother and all mothers”. It’s an endearing tune he wrote for his mom in celebration of her eightieth birthday, a nice finishing touch and final track for the album. Besides, anyone who quotes Hendrix in his liner notes can’t be all bad…
Ben plays live everywhere in Jaco and Quepos, with his band The Howlers, as well as solo, at open mike nights and even with Nancy the Violinist, playing a wide variety of covers as well as his own original tunes. Check him out when you’re in the area and bring your dancing shoes and a smile. The music is infectious.
visitors since December 2009
I always knew Ben would accomplish his dream by being a musician. He was determined, and showed enthusiasm. I always admired Ben for that. I would love to purchase one of his CD’s. Kudos to Ben Orton! I am proud of you!