Raised in a home where chamber music was a constant - his parents both string players with the San Diego Symphony - Benjamin Campbell’s musical life began in the gravity of the concert hall but quickly found its way to the expansive, improvisational language of jazz. As a teenager, he studied with Bob Magnusson and Bertram Turetzky, two pillars of West Coast bass pedagogy who instilled in him a reverence for both tradition and innovation. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Southern California in 2003, where he came under the mentorship of acclaimed bassist and composer John Clayton Jr., whose musical warmth and commitment to continuity of jazz tradition left a lasting imprint.
Campbell moved to New York in 2004, joining the city’s rich musical ecosystem as a musician known for his versatility, depth of pocket, and instinctive sensitivity to supporting the ensemble. He became a trusted collaborator for artists across a wide stylistic spectrum - touring internationally with acts such as Midnight Magic, Roosevelt, Joakim, and Big Data. His tenure with Big Data spanned four years and included support for the Billboard-topping single Dangerous and the full-length album 2.0.
His recorded work reflects a parallel commitment to craft and exploration, with credits on releases from labels including 4AD, Sony, Tigersushi, Mexican Summer, ANTI-, Atlantic, and New Amsterdam. In 2020, Campbell released Kimono Dragon, a suite of compositions that drew upon his continued fascination with melding live performances with hardware synthesis and drum machines. The record is a meditation on tactile sound - where analog circuitry and acoustic texture merge into a soundscape that is both visceral and abstract. It features contributions from notable musicians Gunnar Olsen (Bruce Springsteen, Miike Snow), Chris Bear (Grizzly Bear), Zac Colwell (Jupiter One, Fancy Colors), and Ian Young (M83, Leon Bridges).
Midway through this period, in 2015, Campbell received a diagnosis of a genetic neuromuscular disorder, bringing clarity to longstanding challenges with strength and mobility. It marked a pivot in both lifestyle and professional trajectory - one underscored by resilience and a recommitment to musical integrity and sound. That same year, he was offered his first Broadway chair, performing in Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour at the Lyric Theatre. In 2018, he joined the original Broadway production of Mean Girls, where he played over 700 performances and later served as a consultant for the touring and West End versions of the show. Broadway’s top contractors came to seek him out not simply for his technical fluency, but for his unshakable musicality and intuitive command of genre, always delivered with authenticity.
In 2024, Campbell relocated to Sydney, where he continues to compose, record, and collaborate across mediums. His work remains a quiet testament to the power of listening - deeply, patiently, and without pretense. Ben remains devoted to the idea that music is, above all, an expression of a shared human experience that spans time, space and cultures.