BENJAMIN CROFT (feat Jeff Scott Soto, Billy Sheehan) – We Are Here To Help (2024)
Keyboardist and composer BENJAMIN CROFT career career in music was initially sparked by the revelation of hearing the 1970s progressive rock music of YES, ELP and artists such as Kate Bush and Frank Zappa to name a few. His own music developed in this style, and via his own record label Croft will release new album “We Are Here To Help” next May.
Croft believes that music has a healing quality and “We are Here To Help” is his contribution. The album features a host of very well-known & esteemed musicians, including Jeff Scott Soto (Sons of Apollo, Journey, Yngwie Malmsteen), and Lynsey Ward (Exploring Birdsong) on vocals, Greg Howe (Richie Kotzen, Michael Jackson), Mike Stern (Blood Sweat and Tears, Jaco Pastorius), Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry), Frank Gambale (Chick Corea) and Carter Arrington on guitar, Billy Sheehan (Mr Big, Winery Dogs), Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani), Dave Marks (Paul Gilbert, Robert Plant) and Flo Moore on bass, Simon Phillips (TOTO, Gary Moore, Judas Priest), and Marco Minnemann (Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson) on drums.
This is neo progressive rock / metal, very melodic, with ‘song format’ tracks and more proggy numbers.
With a very good production, mastering and mix, “We Are Here To Help” has many influences, from classic YES to ’80s ASIA, to early 90s Dream Theater, and more.
Our favorite cuts are the Jeff Scott Soto sung, title track ‘We Are Here to Help’ and the superb midtempo closer ‘She Flies Softly On’, a very melodic, smooth track. The female voice of Lynsey Ward provide a nice variation on the tracks she does leads, and there’s very well performed & arranged instrumentals, with tuneful guitar solos, granite bass guitar, and Benjamin’s keyboard runs.
Highly Recommended
01. The Age of Magrathea
02. We Are Here to Help
03. You Made Me Miss
04. Caught in the Flypaper
05. Same Siders
06. Wrestling with Plato
07. Lower Moat Manor
08. She Flies Softly On
Benjamin Croft – keyboards
Jeff Scott Soto – vocals
Lynsey Ward – vocals
Greg Howe – guitar
Mike Stern – guitar
Per Nilsson – guitar
Frank Gambale – guitar
Carter Arrington – guitar
Billy Sheehan – bass
Stu Hamm – bass
Dave Marks – bass
Flo Moore – bass
Simon Phillips – drums
Marco Minnemann – drums
Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Are-Here-Help-Benjamin-Croft/dp/B0CWBRP3P9/
