Bassist’s New Album Inspired by Speech

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Bassist Ben Allison’s new album, Little Things Run The World (Palmetto), features a rendition of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” plus six of Allison’s original compositions and a song by guitarist Steve Cardenas. Allison arranged “Jealous Guy” for his band Man Size Safe as a nod to Donny Hathaway’s rendition of Lennon’s song.

Fusing rock, jazz, americana, blues and soul music, Little Things Run The World was inspired by biologist E.O. Wilson’s acceptance speech for the 2007 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Prize. Wilson’s commentary on the interdependence of all creatures great and small is an underlying theme on the record and a direct inspiration for the album’s title.

Palmetto will sell Little Things Run The World CDs and mp3s exclusively on its website, palmetto-records.com, starting Dec. 4. The album will be available in stores starting Jan. 22.

The album features:
Ben Allison, bass
Michael Sarin, drums
Steve Cardenas, guitar
Ron Horton, trumpet
Michael Blake, saxophone

More info: benallison.com



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November 2025
Gary Bartz
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