With a sound built with elements of blues, reggae, rock, soul, folk and funk, Ben Harper creates music that can either have a calming or rousing effect on the listener. The California-born singer/songwriter has the ability to nonchalantly switch between crooning a ditty or hammering out a rock inspired tune with steel guitar stylings. Though he recorded his first LP Pleasure and Pain, in 1992, he first came to notice in 1995, when his album Fight For Your Mind became a noted mainstay of many college radio stations. As he continued to release music into the 2000s, his reputation as a premier singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist solidified in 2006 with the release of his acclaimed double album, Both Sides of the Gun.
