With two standing room only performances celebrating the

release of Learning To Bend, Ben Sollee performs his first Louisville show

of 2008 February 8th at the 930 Listening Room with Chicago’s Mike Mangione

and Louisville’s Brigid Kaelin. The New Year also brings about the national

release of Sollee’s Learning To Bend, an album that has already gotten Ben

recognized as one of NPR’s Greatest Unknown Artists of 2007.

2008 will be a busy year for Ben touring with Béla Fleck, Uncle Earl’s

Abigail Washburn, and Casey Driessen as The Sparrow Quartet. A new album

and tour by the group will have Ben stopping in at Bonnaroo, SXSW, New

Orleans Jazz Fest, and a return to China. Undoubtedly the rest of the world

will be seeing more of our resident cello shredder than our great city of

Louisville in the coming months.

Details are as follow:

Ben Sollee with Mike Mangione and Brigid Kaelin

Friday February 8th 2008

930 Listening Room • 8 pm • $5

930 Mary Street Louisville KY 40204

myspace.com/bensollee • mikemangione.com • brigidkaelin.com • the930.org

Born and raised in Kentucky, the young cellist and singer-songwriter Ben

Sollee is changing the way people think of the cello. While Ben has studied

classically, his voice and style of playing reflect his connection to

American roots music. His cello playing is a unique alchemy of fiddling,

percussive bow work, and three-finger style plucking. His performances

around the world with artists like Abigail Washburn, The Sparrow Quartet,

and Otis Taylor reflect his diverse abilities.

There is hardly a need to define Ben Sollee’s music; it is, by nature, a

fluid and versatile thing. He is just as likely to be found performing with

a contemporary dance ensemble as with a bluegrass band. Ben’s songs honestly

address social issues, faith, and love with a soulful voice that transcends

his 23 years. There are hints of influence by Sam Cooke, Paul Simon, maybe

Ralph Stanley, but none tie Ben to a singular approach.

In 2006 Ben Sollee performed in China with The Sparrow Quartet, an ensemble

featuring vocalist Abigail Washburn, fiddler Casey Driessen, and

banjo-master Bela Fleck, and the group became the first-ever Official U.S.

Cultural Mission to tour Tibet. In four performances the band played for

nearly ten thousand young students.

Ben Sollee’s newest album, Learning to Bend, is evidence of his broad

musical perspective. With guests such as Rayna Gellert and Bela Fleck, the

music sways from a driving, fiddle-fueled song about Americans’ infatuation

with their cars, to a playful song on growing up as a boy. The title track,

Bend, poignantly addresses our need to accept difficult change and features

a striking harp accompaniment composed by Ben.