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Ben Levin brings his ‘old-school’ brand of blues and soul back to Music@BCM Thursday


Don’t let his young age fool you, Ben Levin’s “old-school” sound and extraordinary talent is up to speed with soulful musicians twice his age. At just 22, Levin has carved a spot for himself in the R&B world as a pianist, vocalist and songwriter, playing more than 100 shows a year, organizing festivals, and winning awards, all while furthering his education.

Ben Levin (Photo from BCM)

This prolific performer shares at least 50 shades of blue at the Behringer-Crawford Museum amphitheater stage on June 16 for the Music@BCM concert series.

First exposed to blues piano at age six when he saw his father Aron watching the Ray Charles biopic “Ray,” Levin began jamming with his dad’s band, The Heaters, at 11. Since then he has released three CDs, won the Dayton Blues Challenge with his piano mentor Ricky Nye on drums, organized and played in blues festivals here and abroad, and has been nominated for a Blues Music Award and two Blues Blast Magazine Awards.

A composer as well as a performer, he has produced three albums, “Bens Blues,” “Before Me” and “Still Here,” which debuted at #3 on the iTunes Blues Charts and #10 on the Billboard Blues Charts.

Levin’s talent has elicited praise from critics like Mark Thompson of Blues Music Magazine, who commented, “The phrase ‘old soul’ certainly applies to Ben Levin. It’s remarkable that he has managed to learn much of the essence of the blues piano traditions at such a young age.”

The 2022 Music@BCM concert series is dedicated in memory and honor of our friend and BCM Trustee, Gary Johnston who passed away unexpectedly this year.

The family-friendly performance takes place in BCM’s outdoor amphitheater at 1600 Montague Road-Devou Park, Covington, KY 41011. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children ages 3-12. Performances run from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. with adult beverages and food from PeeWee’s Place available for purchase. Parking is free. The concert will also be live-streamed on BCM’s Facebook page.

Guests should bring folding chairs or blankets for seating. In case of inclement weather, the event will move indoors.

The 2022 Music@BCM series continues with:

June 23: Sgt. Pepper Spray
June 30: The Turkeys
July 7: Blue Eighty
July 14: Burning Caravan
July 21: Ricky Nye
July 28: Amy London
August 4: Danny Frazier
August 11: Steve Bonafel, Jessie Lyn & The TNT Express
August 18: Bam Powell & The Troublemakers

Behringer-Crawford Museum


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