Prof. Ben Thomas

Jazz bassist Ben Thomas hails from Connecticut and currently resides in Washington D.C. He has performed with Melissa Aldana, Ted Nash, Sean Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Tony Malaby, Till Brönner, Ari Honeig, The New York Ballet, and Ryan Truesdell in notable venues including The Kennedy Center, The White House, The Midwest Clinic, The Jazz Education Network, Umbria Jazz Festival, Smalls, and Birdland. He is the Adjunct Professor of Jazz Bass at George Mason University as well as the bassist of the prestigious Airmen of Note, the premier jazz big band of the United States Air Force. Prior to living in Washington D.C., Thomas freelanced in New York City before spending six years in the USAF regional bands, four of which were stationed at Ramstein Airbase, Germany. While in there, Thomas toured 23 countries throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, was music director of the jazz band, and taught bass at the University of Mannheim. Thomas is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in jazz bass performance. He studied with Jeff Campbell, James VanDemark, Bill Dobbins, Clay Jenkins, Ralph Alessi, and Drew Gress. In 2012 he released his record of live original chordless trio music entitled Endless Mountain Region. Prof. Thomas enjoys performing on his 1862 Bohemian bass. 

Degrees

MM, Eastman School of Music

BA, Eastman School of Music