Ben Ellman
American musician
About Ben Ellman
Ben Ellman is an American saxophonist, harmonica player, and producer most widely known as a member of the New Orleansâbased funk band Galactic, with whom he has made eight studio albums. He joined the group in 1994, when they were known as Galactic Prophylactic. Ben also works as a DJ under the name Gypsyphonic Disko, where he mixes New Orleans style funk with klezmer, Eastern European and other exotic music.
Production As a producer Ben has overseen Galactic's recordings since 2007, and has produced artists such as Trombone Shorty, Stoop Kids, The Revivalists, Walter âWolfmanâ Washington, Soul Rebels, Big Freedia, as well as singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau and rapper Lyrics Born. Ellman produced the Trombone Shorty album âBackatownâ, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2010, and The Revivalists hit album âMen Amongst Mountainsâ, which included the single âWish I Knew Youâ which went to No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative chart in 2015
Other Pursuits As a sideman Ellman has played on recordings by Harry Connick, The Afghan Whigs, Ani DiFranco, Theryl âHouseman", The Royal Fingerbowl and Corey Henry. In March 2019, Galactic's members purchased the legendary New Orleans venue Tipitina's, making Ellman one of the club's owners.
Donât just read it â
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ben Ellman?
American musician
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ben Ellman. https://biography.guide/ben-ellman/
MLA: "Ben Ellman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ben-ellman/.
Chicago: "Ben Ellman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ben-ellman/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:15 UTC