The Doors Forum

A real find!...if you like smokey, bourbon drenched vocals and amazing songwriting...listen and be amazed by Caplan's poetic ballads, smokey bluesy rock, and Gypsy anthems


Ben Caplan
BEN'S lone first and only album is The Time Of The Great Remembering (so far...can't wait for his next)...the album title alone drew me in...and the superhero beard!



Stranger....damn!!! If Ben doesn't knock your socks off, you aren't wearing any!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtITvq7iQk



Rugged, raspy, and roaring with charisma. Halifax's Ben Caplan is to folklore, what smoke is to bourbon: perfectly coupled. Ben's songwriting is bold in both range and ferocity. Fueled by a quality of melodrama and powerful lyricism, the romance and bravery in his voice gives Caplan a truly innovative and experimental artistry. A sound that bridges the gap between controlled composition and unruly passion.

Caplan has marked his place in the Canadian music landscape with a growling spirit similar to that of Tom Waits. Ben strides in pace with gypsy-inspired strings delicately blended with the sultry tones of clarinet and saxophone. Caplan's tours have extended throughout the Commonwealth, appearing on countless stages and radio talk shows such as CBC's studio Q with Jian Ghomeshi. This June, Caplan will be playing at the world-renowned Glastonbury fesitval. With the rhapsodic energy on his live show it is no wonder that his elegant cacophony is gaining attention around the world. He recently toured with Norwegian folk-pop sensations Katzenjammer, which paced the way for the two forces to re-arrange that Christmas hit Fairytale of new York. This magical track is filled with lush strings and theatrical performance that truly highlight the mark of Caplan and Katzenjammer. Breaking between guitar, banjo, piano, and melodica. Caplan's stage show is almost reminiscent of the burly and bearded Freddy Mercury; a raging, strong, and exploratory songwriter, it's the blues in his soul and the heart in your chest pounding in sync that makes Ben Caplan an unmissable act.

The music of Ben Caplan is diverse, ranging from poetic ballads to frenetic gypsy anthems. But even when the band delivers the roughest of bar room stomps, there is a surprising depth and musicianship to the songs. Expressive percussion, upright bass, violin, sax, clarinet, flute, and terrific use of call and response sing-along choruses all help Caplan stand out from the masses.

Visit his website at www.bencaplan.ca#65279;

Check out his video for Down to the River | Live in Bellwoods here: http://youtu.be/9PTSOKDa0NI#65279;

Check out his video for Stranger here: http://vimeo.com/18496901#65279;


lineup
Ben Caplan Guitar/Banjo/Keys/Vocals
influences
Tom Waits
Wilco
Bob Dylan
A. A. Bondy
Amelia Curran
Joe Girard
The Band
Paul Simon
Neil Young
Bruce Peninsula
Townes Van Zandt
Leonard Cohen
Manu Chao
Astor Piazzola
Wax Mannequin
Geoff Berner
Jorge Ben

Birds With Broken Wings...low volumes so turn it up!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6byMJHNrBQ

Down To The River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PTSOKDa0NI

Stranger...live solo...holy wow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iODL5wvZbns








Bang To Break The Drum....some great Tom Waits sounds in a really good way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAWWyLGg ... -IyZbwP5rn


Beautiful..what a remarkable change of pace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioMLsYfJ ... -IyZbwP5rn

Singer-songwriter Ben Caplan's old soul
Touring Maritimes, Ontario and Quebec before hitting SXSW
CBC News
Posted: Jan 23, 2013 3:41 PM ET
Last Updated: Jan 23, 2013 3:39 PM ET

Rest Your Head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMNnKc_x ... -IyZbwP5rn


Though Ben Caplan has just one album under his belt so far, the Canadian singer-songwriter carries the aura of a much older soul, especially with his impressive beard and stories of his international travels.

An artist with a theatrical background who loves to be on stage, Caplan is touring his 2011 debut In the Time of the Great Remembering, a collection of klezmer-tinged folk, while working on new material. His current tour will take him through the Maritimes, Ontario and Quebec ahead of a return visit to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, this spring.

Expressing himself with an admittedly "older" sound is "just a personal preference," he told Jian Ghomeshi on CBC's Q cultural affairs show.

"I like acoustic music better than I like electronic music. It's not that I have anything against it. It's just not the aesthetic that I'm interested in exploring."

Though born and raised in Hamilton, Ont., Caplan has become a cultural fixture in the East Coast, especially in his adopted hometown of Halifax. He is currently nominated for multiple East Coast Music Awards and the Chronicle-Herald newspaper described him as a "cultural ambassador" for Nova Scotia.

"I hate to be so cliché, but there's a je ne sais quoi. I just fell in love with the town [of Halifax]," Caplan said. "The more I've spent time there, the more I've sunk my roots into the community."

Caplan performed his songs Down to the River and Stranger on Q and talked about his musical epiphany moment, the regular open-mic night held in his Halifax living room and why he spends so much time on the road.

Down To The River...studio version.....mmmmmm oh yeah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWvwjNiO ... -IyZbwP5rn

Drift Apart...studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6A6-F7 ... -IyZbwP5rn