Ben’s music has been reaching people for over a decade. Ben first arrived on the national scene in 1995 with his high profile Ruffhouse/Columbia release, 'Almost Speechless.'

Since then, Ben has been keeping busy with a slew of legitimate projects. Most notably, in 2000 he released his critically acclaimed independent album 'In Case I’m Gone Tomorrow', which featured an A side and B side (30 songs total) of unreleased demos and previously unrecorded songs: material that Ben had put way too much work into to have it not see the light of day.

The recording of Calico began in 2002, simply as a means for Ben to get away for a short while. His artistic restlessness was his inspiration to head west for a little space and time. Ben made plans to spend a week or so hanging out and making some music with friends Scott Bricklin and Shane Smith at Headroom Audio in West Hollywood. With plans set and the trip fast approaching, motivation for what lay ahead came just a few short weeks before his departure, and by the time Ben landed in Los Angeles he had half of the album written and the other half well on its way.

The songs were simple and lighthearted melodies penned during the late night hours in Ben's upstairs Philadelphia office space he commonly refers to as "the hole." What unfolded over that week in California would lead to the completion of Calico - and the making of the album would become one of Ben's favorite recording experiences to date. The magic set in on the very first night of recording ­ when Ben and his band effortlessly set two songs to tape; for the ten days that followed, recording continued late into the night.

Throughout Calico’s recording Ben kept a goal in mind: "I wanted to create simple song structures, stand them on their end a little bit and then give them a vibe of freedom with a less predictable, conversational or confessional tone in the lyric."

Part of Ben’s inspiration for the music on Calico came from his recent experiences as a part time music teacher in a small private school near his home. "There was something about the energy and openness of the kids that was working with that lead me down a new path, creatively speaking. It took me to a place where mistakes are common, accepted, and where fun rules the day."