Ben Balmer
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small: Ben Balmer Ben Balmer The son of a classical pianist mother and a harmonica-playing father, music has been a constant for Ben Balmer. He started playing harmonica at 13 in his hometown of Ypsilanti Michigan, and by 16 was playing guitar and performing club gigs across the region.
Balmer’s early listening was as eclectic as it gets and encompassed everything from Bela Bartok to The J. Geils Band. Over time, his musical influences expanded to include Fiona Apple, Taj Mahal, and Tom Waits. He’d play along to his dad’s blues records, especially Sonnyboy Williamson and Paul Butterfield. Following his dad’s lead, Balmer took harmonica lessons from Grammy Award-winning player, Peter “Madcat” Ruth. As a teenager, Ben began his 10,000 hours of live performances, singing in a local band and has even shared the stage playing harmonica for Motown legend, Martha Reeves.
Since then Ben Balmer has established himself as a prolific singer, songwriter, harmonica player, and guitarist now based in Asheville, North Carolina. He’s played in all 48 of the contiguous United States, throughout Canada, and has done months-long stints in Japan and the UK. Balmer’s music is colored not only by his musical influences (everything from Bela Bartok to the J. Geils Band), but also by novelists such as C.S. Lewis and Cormac McCarthy.
His rootsy, lyric-driven Americana is the rare kind that is meticulously crafted yet has
undeniable mass appeal. Balmer’s third and latest album Honky-Tonk Macbeth (2021) was hailed as “...one of those pleasant oddities that pops up now and then, an effort that brims with clever ideas matched with top musicianship” by Texas Music Magazine. After 14 years in Austin, Texas, Balmer made the move to Asheville North Carolina in 2022 and is touring continuously in addition to working on his next record.
The son of a classical pianist mother and a harmonica-playing father, music has been a constant for Ben Balmer. He started playing harmonica at 13 in his hometown of Ypsilanti Michigan, and by 16 was playing guitar and performing club gigs across the region. Balmer’s early listening was as eclectic as it gets and encompassed everything from Bela Bartok to The J. Geils Band. Over time, his musical influences expanded to include Fiona Apple, Taj Mahal, and Tom Waits. He’d play along to his dad’s blues records, especially Sonnyboy Williamson and Paul Butterfield. Following his dad’s lead, Balmer took harmonica lessons from Grammy Award-winning player, Peter “Madcat” Ruth. As a teenager, Ben began his 10,000 hours of live performances, singing in a local band and has even shared the stage playing harmonica for Motown legend, Martha Reeves. Since then Ben Balmer has established himself as a prolific singer, songwriter, harmonica player, and guitarist now based in Asheville, North Carolina. He’s played in all 48 of the contiguous United States, throughout Canada, and has done months-long stints in Japan and the UK. Balmer’s music is colored not only by his musical influences (everything from Bela Bartok to the J. Geils Band), but also by novelists such as C.S. Lewis and Cormac McCarthy. His rootsy, lyric-driven Americana is the rare kind that is meticulously crafted yet hasundeniable mass appeal. Balmer’s third and latest album Honky-Tonk Macbeth (2021) was hailed as “...one of those pleasant oddities that pops up now and then, an effort that brims with clever ideas matched with top musicianship” by Texas Music Magazine. After 14 years in Austin, Texas, Balmer made the move to Asheville North Carolina in 2022 and is touring continuously in addition to working on his next record.
This is why Ben plays on SEYDEL harmonicas exclusively: "After Peter "Madcat" Ruth encouraged me to check out Seydel harmonicas, I haven't looked back. They sound great, the stainless steel reeds last far longer than the brass, and they're always air-tight and responsive right out of the box. My case is filled with SEYDEL 1847 NOBLES, and CLASSICS with funky combs. They feel great in my hands and I can see the care and craftsmanship that goes into each of them. I have yet to find a better harmonica for my needs, and I play them hard every show. As for the harmonica racks, I performed for years without them, because they were frustrating to use, and none of them had the adjustments I wanted to make, until I came across the SEYDEL GECKO. It is simply a better mousetrap. Now I do not have to fiddle with my adjustments every song, or struggle to switch my harps in and out of a stuck spring-loaded tray. Easy to use, adjustments that stay put, magnetic holder, and the most important (for me) the ability to adjust the angle of the harp towards my mouth. An added bonus is that it is small and unobtrusive, so it doesn't put a huge partition between me and my audience. Seydel just fires on all cylinders" 
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1847 CLASSIC
Key C 16201C
1847 NOBLE
Key A 16501A
