Ben Pirani

A New York-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with vintage soul and R&B inclinations, Ben Pirani fronted a number of different projects for small labels like Cherries Records and Palmetto St. Recording Co. in the mid-2010s before making his solo debut under his own name with the sophisticated retro-soul of 2018's How Do I Talk to My Brother?. A native of Chicago, Pirani grew up in a highly musical household and started his career as a drummer for various punk bands. Over the years, he tried out various styles, playing behind others and fronting his own projects like the mod-psych band the Civilized Age and the blues-rock combo Chicago Stone Lightning Band. In most of these outlets, Pirani tended to favor music from an earlier era and by 2013, he'd relocated to New York and began delving deeper into vintage funk, R&B, and soul. Helming a band simply called Benjamin, he recorded a couple of singles and one full-length release that explored '70s and '80s funk and disco. Next, he moved to the Daptone-distributed Palmetto St. Recording Co., and recorded the 2016 single, "Light of My Life/Dreamin's for Free," as Benjamin & the Right Direction. Now firmly working in a retro '60s soul mode, he followed up in 2017 with a second single, "Not One More Tear/That's What You Mean to Me," this time as Benjamin & the Dreamdancers. After signing on with Ohio-based soul label Colemine Records, he issued 2018's full-length, How Do I Talk to My Brother?, which was credited to his own name, Ben Pirani, and included all four songs from his previous singles. ~ Timothy Monger