BEN GRIFFIN
An active trombonist and low brass artist, Ben Griffin brings years of first hand professional experience to S.E. Shires. His performing credits range from classical through jazz and commercial styles, including Isaac Hayes, Keely Smith, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Today Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Frankie Valli, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Big Apple Circus, and as low brass soloist and (most infamously) unicyclist with Blast!. In 2005, Ben earned a BA in Jazz Studies from Manhattan School of Music and soon after was awarded the position of Assistant Principal Trombone with the U.S. Coast Guard Band.
It was during this time Ben became a student and collector of trombones new and old, owning and performing on more than 100 different makes and models. This time brought into focus the inherent character of particular instruments and how they pair with specific types of playing and players. Ben brings this firsthand knowledge and experience to every customer interaction, with the goal of finding an instrument that exceeds an artist’s wants and needs.
Now based in Boston, Ben remains an active freelancer across the Northeast, regularly performing with the Awakening Orchestra, the Brian Thomas / Alex Lee-Clark Big Band, the Jeff Holmes Big Band, the John Almark Big Band, the New England Jazz Ensemble, and many more.
