Patch Arts Profile: Ben Williams Faces The Music

Maplewoodian Ben Williams has been making trombone music almost all his life. He’s lived in town about 20 years--most recently in the Hilton section. His daughter Emma is a freshman at Columbia High School and son Sam studies early childhood education at New York University. Besides performing on television and rubbing elbows with some greats, Williams stays connected with local musicians through Maplewood Community Music.

Tell me about yourself.  I’m a freelance trombonist and music teacher who has a degree in jazz trombone from the New England Conservatory of Music. I have a vast range of experience in teaching and as a freelance musician.

Tell me about some of those freelance gigs.  I've been on the Conan O’Brien Show and I’ve played parties where I was little more than hired help. I think it’s important that as a musician you don’t get too full of yourself.

The truth is, musicians are cultural hoppers. One day I’ll be playing a Gypsy wedding, then I’ll be at the Waldorf, then a Latin gig in Newark. Maybe, sometimes, I find myself playing music I would otherwise choose to not play, so I inject or find the creative heart in everything I do. Otherwise it’s just punching a clock. 

The music I like to play is a serious creative endeavor mixing commerce with art. I do tons of little gigs. I’m king of the farmer's market gig.That’s fun because I’m playing music I like with people I like.

Wow, what was it like -- being on television? Playing with high-profile performers? Being on Conan was a blast. Conan’s regular trombone player is La Bamba -- Richie Rosenberg. He works a lot with Southside Johnny. La Bamba put together a big band to play orchestral arrangements of Tom Waits’ music. He tapped me for that. Some of the other guys in the band were from Saturday Night Live. The album of those songs, Grapefruit Moon, came out last year. It was recorded at Jon Bon Jovi's studio. It was a great project, we played a couple of concerts. It’s hard to pigeonhole the experience. I was shocked how great it was.

I played with Clarence Clemons, too. He has a band from Florida, The Temple of Soul, that I filled in with. I played a few gigs in Asbury Park at the Stone Pony and at the Paramount Theater.

How did you get started? Did you always want to be a trombone player? What was your first instrument? I actually wanted to play trumpet, a typical first choice of ten-year-old boys, but in a panic I scribbled out trombone instead. It was my second choice, and they needed trombone players, so that’s what I played. That was dumb luck and it was the choice of a lifetime.

My beloved teacher was a Mr. Borodin. He was an amazing person, a young hip guy, who was a great saxophone player. He died young and I’ve had the honor of playing at his graveside.

How many instruments do you own? I own three trombones, a trumpet, a tuba, keyboards and hand percussion instruments. I play them all with enthusiasm. I wouldn't play piano publicly, but it’s nice to play something that you don't have to be good at.

So, would you say that you were a high school band geek? I played in the marching band, the Kinnelon (NJ) Colts. We wore green cowboy outfits.

Are there different kinds of trombones? Mainly, trombones are all the same. There are larger and smaller ones, some may have more tubing, but there isn’t a wide range–they’re all pretty much the same instrument. My favorite is a Bach 36. I’ve used the same mouthpiece for 25 years and the same horn. Once I start experimenting, I’m lost.

Tommy Dorsey or Glenn Miller? Tommy Dorsey was a much better trombone player, and Glenn Miller popularized swing music. But I’d choose ‘C’--none of the above. I do a regular jazz on film program at the Burgdorff Center four times a year. Recently, I presented clips and live music on Jack Teagarden, who played with Louis Armstrong. Calling Teagarden 'da bomb’ is inadequate–he's one of the cats and I think the best.

Your band is called Cactus Salad? Cactus Salad plays Thursday nights in Bergenfield at a place called Chapala Grill. The whole band moved down here from Boston, they’re my dearest friends. The drummer, Russ Debona, runs the band. There are always different people coming and going out of each other's lives, but the connections stay.

Tell me about the Maplewood Music Scene. There’s an unbelievably generous community here in Maplewood. Jim Buchanan, a bass player, is the godfather. He was there at the beginning. Some of the people that I became close to over the last 15 years include piano player, Tricia Woods; bass player, Gregory Jones; drummer Lee Finkelstein who played with the Blues Brothers, and, of course, Deena Shoskes of The Cucumbers.

What’s with all the trombone jokes?  People are jealous of trombone players. We get all the women, acclaim and money. But seriously, I guess we're an easy target. Here's an old trombone players’ joke: What kind of calendars do trombone players use? Decade at a glance. Here’s a violin joke: If you threw a violin and a viola off a ten-story building which would land first? Does it matter?  One more old trombone joke: What do you do when a trombone player comes to your door?  Pay for the pizza. For some reason, drummers are also a big target of jokes.

Tell me about teaching. The teaching thing has become an important part of what I am. I put a lot into it because I enjoy playing, and I’m really lucky. I have the greatest students. As a teacher, I provide a different kind of role model to kids. And from my perspective, teaching has helped me to learn so much about myself--I’m a better person because I’m a teacher. I’m certainly a better musician.

I understand you received an NEA grant, that’s impressive. Yes, I received an NEA grant to the arts a number of years ago, when I was living in Jersey City. I was co-recipient with the band The Hi-Tops, that played Dixieland. It was one loud band. I remember one time playing at a club in New York City called The Cajun. The Ramones walked in, sat down, and then asked to be moved because we were too loud. That’s a claim to fame:  Too loud for the Ramones.

 And what do you do in your free time to relax? I conduct the Maplewood Community big band–it’s a joy. The band is amateur, and the meaning of that word is ‘one who loves.’ It’s important for professionals, who might start feeling like playing is just a job, to spend time with those who love to play.