Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals

Led by American singer‑guitarist Ben Harper from California, Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals formed in the mid‑1990s as a backing band before establishing themselves as a full collective project. Around Ben Harper, the core of the Innocent Criminals includes bassist Juan Nelson, drummer Oliver Charles and percussionist Leon Mobley, with a lineup that evolves over the course of touring. The group developed a blend of rock and folk colored by blues, soul, funk and reggae, where Harper's slide guitars sit alongside an extensive rhythmic foundation and gospel‑like backing vocals. Present on major stages and international festivals since the 1990s, Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals built part of their reputation on long, improvised performances that root the repertoire in a jam‑rock aesthetic. After several years of intense activity and a period of stepping back around the 2010s, the band reconvened in the studio for the 2016 album "Call It What It Is", which reaffirmed the collective nature of the project and the central place of the band in Ben Harper's career.