ABOUT — Bio

Ben Leinbach is an award-winning producer, composer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. His favorite thing besides hanging out with his family is striving to design cool recordings. Accentuating an artist's essence through a well-conceived supporting track; chiseling away at a musical production in search of the perfect alchemy of elements to bring a track to life; creating sonic sanctuaries of beauty and tranquility, or evocative cinematic zones, or spirited grooves - these objectives keep Ben working hard at his craft.

Ben maintains an eclectic mix of music on his production/composition plate. He produces everything from hip hop to meditation music.

In the world music realm, Ben has worked extensively with world music pioneer Jai Uttal. Together they have created several popular records, including the evocative ambient soundscapes on the award-winning Spirit of Yoga, the hypnotic world grooves on Music for Yoga and Other Joys, the wild ride on Jai’s Grammy-nominated Mondo Rama, the ecstatic chanting on Jai Uttal’s Kirtan (which was nominated for a California Music Award) and Loveland: Music for Dreaming and Awakening. Ben collaborated with Deva Premal and Miten on a world music extravaganza called The Moola Mantra. He has also composed music for several Yoga instructional CDs and DVDs with Shiva Rea , Rainbow Mars, Nubia Teixeira, Erin Fleming, and Jill Johnson.

Ben also produces, records and mixes tracks for singer/songwriters, r+b singers, and rappers. Sarah Davis, Amie Penwell, David Newman, Greg Lamboy, Jo D’Anna, Mary Kelly, Mary Redente, The Unknowns, Asha Charles, Deane Nelson, Smoky Rosier, and others all sought out Ben’s production style and his recording and mixing skills. Ben operates his own recording studio in San Anselmo, California.

As a freelance sound engineer Ben has recorded projects that span the musical spectrum from world music to rap, rock and roll to Latin-jazz. He has engineered recordings with rappers E-40 and Spice-1, percussion greats Pops and Peto Escovedo, saxophonist Joshua Redman, film composers Lawrence Rosenthal and Gary Malkin, world music pioneer Jai Uttal, The Turtle Island String Quartet, monster bassist Michael Manring, former Santana percussionist Orestes Vilato, drumming freak-of-nature Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, and steel pan maestro Andy Narell.

As a drummer Ben has performed with sax great Chico Freeman, bassist Michael Manring, jazz singer Kurt Elling, and has jammed with Joshua Redman. A few of his former bands shared bills with Green Day, Primus, The Ohio Players, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Charlie Hunter, and John Scofield. He has also performed with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers and Mingus Amungus.