Ben The Harpman Cox "Raw" Album

Hello everyone and thank you for checking out this fundraising page. Raw has been in the making since 2007 and can only come to complete fruition with a little help from all of you. I began my journey in blues music all the way back in 2002 as a local jam session regular at Urbana, Illinois' Canopy Club's front room stage on Sunday nights. A new local group by the name of the Kilborn Alley Blues Band was hosting the jams then, and getting ready to begin their journey in blues stardom. I quickly became friends with the band and travel around the region with them and up to Chicago for a few occasions. Then-harmonica player with the band, Joe Asselin, began showing me licks on the harmonica and lead singer and guitar player Andy Duncanson began showing me records to listen and learn from. Before long, I was coming up with my own lyrics and improvising them on stage. In 2004, after a bout with cancer and academic probation at the University of Illinois, I moved to Jacksonville, Illinois to finish school. Before I had left, I left a series of songs with Kilborn Alley to "do with what you will." Subsequently, I was lucky enough to have them record and arrange "Soldier Blues" on their first internationally-renowned release Put It In the Alley  for Blue Bella Records in 2006. My local work as a musician fell in with several great local Jacksonville-area musicians over the next few years. In 2005, I self-produced, replicated, manufactured and released a live album called Room Painted Blue with Stan Robinson, Jeff Newman, and Matt Duncan. The songs were arranged on the spot and recorded in front of an audience that new little about me. However, I managed to strike up more friendships and grow a small fanbase from the 100 albums that I "pressed," which all sold out within the year. Since 2005, I've been asked by several local musicians to release a studio record with more of my own songs. Several projects have been started and stopped over the years including recording in a 100-year old schoolhouse, more live recordings, and an inability to get studio time booked with musicians because of scheduling issues. Despite all the hang-ups, I've continued to plod on in the blues community in Central Illinois for the last 12 years trying to find a home for my music.
In 2007, my music took a backseat and I began working as a journalist, critic, and began compiling history on blues and classic R&B music. I've had stints at Jacksonville's 107.1FM as a radio DJ, spinning the area's only live commercial blues radio show on Saturday nights from 2006 to 2007. I did a similar stint at Millikin University's 89.5 WJMU's Sunday afternoon Juke Joint Soul radio show. I've had the opportunity to write for The Blues Blast Magazine (formerly known as Illinois Blues) as well as my own critically-acclaimed blog "Juke Joint Soul" for nearly a decade. Over that time period, I've had the amazing chance to meet many of my musical heroes and make friends all over the country. I've played on the big stages for the Old Capitol Blues and BBQ, the Illinois State Fair, and many great local live venues in Springfield and Jacksonville, Illinois. A few years ago, I was the interim harmonica player for the well-known Springfield blues band, Tombstone Bullet. I also had the opportunity to write the liner notes for the debut release of The Sugar Prophets. My old friend Joe Asselin, now playing guitar, was one of the artists in the group and I got to see him excel once again. The Illinois Central Blues Club has asked me to judge their blues competition for entrance into the International Blues Challenge. It's been great to be on a first name basis with some of the top blues musicians in the area including national touring and recording artists Mary Jo Curry, James Armstrong, Kilborn Alley, Back Pack Jones, Nick Moss, The Sugar Prophets, William Marsala Band, Robert Sampson, and many, many more.
With the birth of my children and my attempt to start raising a family, I scaled back a lot of my playing time. I didn't feel it would be fair to have a dad who was asleep during their waking hours because of a full-time job and a night shift as a musician. They've gotten older and I feel like my time is running short to capture my abilities and the essence of the songs that I've selected for this piece. I also have a remarkably flexible "big boy job" schedule that will currently allow me to get these recordings done in a somewhat timely fashion.
I know that no label in their right mind would want to release this project on its own by an unknown artist, so I've decided to do it all myself - PR, publishing, and releasing. I'm going to go where the music is going to take me. I sincerely believe that this will be the best music that I will ever have the opportunity to release. I've had many great opportunities in music and thankful for the ones that I've had over the years, including to get to share the stage with some of the best people and friends all over the State of Illinois and beyond. With your help, I'll get to fulfill one last dream of actually releasing a professional studio release for national radio play and distribution. Maybe it will lead to more releases or not, but I think that you all will be happy with the results that I've had the opportunity to put together with some truly great musicians.

Thanks to you and the musicians on this record, this small town kid will get to live out one last dream in showbiz and for giving these 6 songs life beyond the pages of a notebook.

These songs have been written over the last 9 1/2 years and have been birthed through some very painful times of my life. Written over the course of 2 divorces, 2 children being born, unemployment, one-night stands, poverty, bouts with alcoholism and depression that included a stay in the hospital, and multiple moves between Jacksonville, rural areas in Morgan County, and Decatur, Illinois - these 6 songs span the compass of emotions that those things entail. Culled from my deep influences based in rural music, Chicago blues, gospel, and acoustic blues traditions; I hope that these songs both pay homage to my heroes and break new ground across the current roots music landscape. Call me a "new traditionalist" or what have you, these songs are my final salvo at the realm of being called a tried and true blues musician. Hopefully, you like them and hopefully they don't miss the mark.

The artists currently on board for this project are the Kilborn Alley Blues Band

my friend Karen Anderson for the photography and graphic design.

Please also support their current and future work as well. With your help, the process begins on Saturday, September 23rd at Earth Analog in Tolono, Illinois a recording studio engineered to mix, master, and produce at a true audiophile sound and quality.

Risks and Challenges

In the world of music, everything that can go wrong will and things that go smooth from the beginning are rare as a unicorn. With that being said, these 6 songs will be arranged and recorded for a "live in a studio" recording much like many of my favorite blues records of the 1950s and 1960s.
Replication and distribution will be sought once the recordings are done and mastered. Part of the funds here will be used to press digital copies, get songs to digital media outlets, and if enough interest is found - possibly put on a limited vinyl pressing (but that's at the very ambitious end of the scale). If there is enough donors, there will possibly be t-shirts made, as well. Again, this comes at the very ambitious end of the spectrum.
Rewards will be handed out as soon as the replication process is finished and be delivered as soon as time will permit.

Rewards

Please leave your postal address and email address for all rewards. If you don't leave these pieces of information, I can't send you the reward for your pledge.

Pledge $10 or more
Digital Download of Raw

Pledge $15 or more
CD of Raw including a Digital Download Card

Pledge $30 or more
CD of Raw w/Digital Download Card and a T-Shirt

Pledge $35 or more
Vinyl LP of Raw w/Digital Download Card and a T-Shirt

Pledge $70 or more
Vinyl LP of Raw w/Digital Download Card, T-Shirt and 2 CDs of previously released material including Room Painted Blue

Pledge $150 or more
Thank You name listed in the album's liner notes, CD copy signed by me the musicians, and a T-shirt

Pledge $350 or more
Concert In Your Home and thank you credit, plus a signed CD and a T-shirt. If you live more than 200 miles away, please email me to work out traveling expenses in a reasonable way for myself and the other musicians travelling with me.

Pledge $500 or more
Executive Producer Credit for the record, invitation to the recording session to listen, either a signed CD or LP of Raw and a T-Shirt

Pledge $1000 or more
You get just about anything you want and we get some much needed funds to make videos, start promotion and publicity campaigns and take a tour without worrying too much about expenses. Includes all of the above rewards and more. If you are donating on behalf of a music venue, myself and the band will come play Raw front to back as part of a promotional tour.