Ben Sidran

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Ben Sidran (born 1943, Chicago) is an American jazz pianist.

He may be best-known for having written the Steve Miller hit song "The Joker." The composer is also a jazz keyboardist of wide renown (both on piano and Hammond B3 organ), as well as a record producer and writer, among his many pursuits.

Born in Chicago and reared in Racine, Wisconsin, Sidran was earning money as a pianist at fraternity parties in Madison, Wisconsin, even before he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961. There he became a member of band The Ardells, along with Miller and Boz Scaggs.

When Miller and Scaggs left Wisconsin for the West Coast and stardom, Sidran stayed behind to earn a degree in English literature. After his 1966 graduation, he proceeded to the University of Sussex, England, to pursue a master's degree in American Studies.

Sidran rejoined Miller in an English recording studio the next year, playing on the album "Children of the Future." While in England, he was a session musician for artists that included Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.

After a brief stint as a recording artist (teamed with Scaggs and drummer Jim Keltner) and record producer in Los Angeles, Sidran returned to Madison in 1970 and has kept the university town as a home-base ever since, teaming with such Madison-based talents as drummer Clyde Stubblefield and keyboardist-composer Leo Sidran, who is also Ben's son.

Sidran's recordings include "Concert for Garcia Lorca," "Life's a Lesson," “Get to the Point,”“Old Songs for the New Depression,” “Bop City,” “On the Cool Side,” “Have You Met … Barcelona,” “Too Hot to Touch,” "Free in America,” “The Doctor is In,” “A Little Kiss in the Night,” “Live at Montreaux,” “The Cat in the Hat,” "I Lead a Life," "Puttin' In Time," "Planet Earth," and "Don't Let Go." Both as a musician and a producer he has collaborated with artists that include Mose Allison, Van Morrison, David Sanborn, and Rickie Lee Jones. His written works include the book "Black Talk."