Ben Harper & Relentless7: Interview with Bassist Jesse Ingalls

Say what you will about Ben Harper; the guy creates a sense of community wherever he goes. Sure, he’s a bit self-serious, and all those dramatic pauses strain credibility, but it’s hard to begrudge the man his Bob Marley complex when people treat him with such reverence. The crowd at the 9:30 Club last week had heard only a handful of these songs before—a Zeppelin cover, a Queen cover, and “Another Lonely Day”; the rest were new and, for the most part, unleaked—but they went nuts (and sang along) as though he’d plied them with a greatest hits medley.

Most of the concert was a live performance of White Lies for Dark Times (released the day after the concert)—material that stands up much better in concert than on wax, thanks to sheer energy of drummer Jordan Richardson, who uses sticks only part of the time, relying otherwise on maracas or hard mallets for a edgy backbeat best exemplified on the record’s first single. Choice cuts like “Number With No Name” got nice, if overlong dueling guitar workouts, and Harper’s lavish slidework made even the duds sound worthwhile. (Including, um, the disco track.) General shredding, melting of faces, the works. It was a great show.

It was also the birthday of Jesse Ingalls, R7’s bassist and a D.C. native. Before the show, he took a few questions…some which he was unable to answer until yesterday. Full Q&A below the jump.

Read More “Ben Harper & Relentless7: Interview with Bassist Jesse Ingalls” »