Drop-In Session with Ben Rice

Ben Rice stopped by the PRP studio for a Sounds of PDX Drop-In Session, and if you know Ben, you know there was no shortage of ground to cover.

We talked music, of course — his, the evolution of Ben Rice & The PDX Hustle, and the kind of influences and collaborations that keep things moving creatively.

But Ben is also one of those people who really seems to embody the phrase working musician. He plays. A lot. He’s deeply woven into Portland’s blues community, he’s a familiar face at Waterfront Blues Festival, and yes, the name PDX Hustle feels pretty appropriate.

So we got into that too — what the hustle actually looks like, what audiences don’t always see behind the scenes, and how much community matters when you’re trying to build a life around music.

We also talked about the band’s Alberta Street Pub residency and the rotating guest artists who help make each month a little different. The residency is taking a short pause for the next couple of months, but Ben has something very cool coming up at Jack London Revue on August 28 with the Hwy 99 Blues Allstars — and we spent a fair amount of time talking about why that show is going to be a little magical.

And because it was a Drop-In Session, Ben brought a guitar, played a couple songs live in the studio, and yes, we even got a little bit of the lore behind Smudgey.

Give the full conversation and live performances a listen below.