Ben Willis is an established Chicago bassist whose performances have earned him accolades on several continents. Originally from rural Illinois, his formative years were spent in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where his parents were teachers at Saudi Arabian International Schools. While there he began to study music with his father at nine years old in a multi-cultural environment and over the next years studied piano, trombone, double bass, electric bass and guitar, voice, music theory and composition. Lifelong friends and extensive travel throughout the region left an indelible mark that is reflected in this artist's cosmopolitan expressive voice. After returning to the United States and completing his degree in composition in 1995 he moved to México where he performed throughout the republic as both a member of the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de la SEC del estado de Veracruz and Jazz entre Tres. He also directed jazz studies in Tlaxcala, UDLA (University of the Americas) in Cholula, Puebla and at the University of Veracruz in Xalpa,Veracruz where he resided for three years. While there he played classical, jazz, nueva trova, and began a lifelong journey of learning the intricacies of Cuban and Mexican son. Also his collaboration with the contemporary theatre group ¡Publik! allowed him to tour México and represent that nation in the World Solidarity Conference in 1997 in La Habana, Cuba. In 1999 this bassist moved to Chicago where he a part of the music scene. He founded La Tira, an international dance band that enjoyed success on several radio and DJ charts across the world. He has performed with Lila Downs, Roberto Vizcaino, Ismael Miranda, Von Freeman, Wynton Marsalis, Mauricio “hUESO” Diaz, Francisco Mela, Jerry Gonzalez and the Ft. Apache Band, Maurice Brown, Corey Wilkes and recorded with Nicholas Payton, La Tira, and several other projects. His experience has taken him across the United States, México, Cuba, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, France, Holland and Spain. Ben has recently moved to NYC, where is regularly playing as a contrabassist in the Latin jazz scene with Yayo Serka, Eric Kurimski, Matt wilson and more. He has also lent his magic touch to Los Chamanes with whom he is currently playing.

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