Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals is a United States-based group active since 1997. It is led by singer-songwriter Ben Harper and serves as his backing band, although Harper also releases material under his solo name.

Formation and line-up

The group forms around Harper on vocals and guitar, with Juan Nelson on bass and Leon Mobley on percussion. Oliver Charles plays drums, while Dean Butterworth handles drums on multiple albums from 1999 until the release of Diamonds on the Inside. The line-up also includes guitarists Marc Ford and Michael Ward, with Jason Yates among the keyboard players associated with the band.

Style and releases

The band is associated with acoustic rock, alternative rock, contemporary folk, folk rock, rock and southern soul. It forms for the album Burn to Shine, which gives it an early place in Harper’s recorded work, and it continues as an ongoing part of his career.