"Ben Markley convincingly demonstrates his potential to impact the jazz scene in years to come" is how Markley was described in a review from Jazz Improv NY magazine. He has performed with Brian Lynch, Ron McClure and George Garzone at various New York venues including Dizzy's Clubb Coca Cola and the Kitano Hotel. Markley's debut album entitled Speallo features tenor saxophone great George Garzone. Markley's latest album, Second Introduction, features trumpeter Greg Gisbert along with Speallo collaborators Evan Gregor and Jordan Perlson. Recent performance credits include Eddie Henderson and Jerry Hahn. Compositions from each of Markley's two albums have earned him ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Awards for 2007 and 2008.
Originally a Kansas native, Markley grew up the son of two music teachers. Some of his earliest performances were Von Trap style concerts with his family. Markley was the KMEA All-State Jazz Pianist his senior year of high school. Despite his musical upbringing, Markley did not decided to seriously pursue music at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS until his third year of college. Around this time he began listening to the Oscar Peterson record Night Train. C-Jam Blues inspired Markley to become a jazz pianist. Eventually, Markley earned a bachelor's degree is from FHSU in piano performance. While attending FHSU, he had the opportunity to study with renowned pianist/composer/arranger Frank Mantooth.
In the fall of 2005, Markley moved to the jazz capital of the world to pursue a masters degree in jazz studies at New York University. While in New York, he studied with Brian Lynch, David Hazeltine, George Garzone, John Scofield, and Joe Lovano. In the summer of 2005, Markley was part of a trio that won the Promising Artists of the Twenty-First Century competition at NYU. This group toured and gave master classes in Costa Rica.
Markley recently completed a DMA in jazz studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
