The Band

Dex Daley’s musical sojourn began as a child in suburban Kingston, Jamaica, where he studied classical piano under the tutelage of instructors from the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music in London. 

After mastering three grades of study with the Board, Dex became a part of the evolution of the fledgling Rhythms of Reggae music, the Beat and sound that has made Jamaica famous around the world. By age fifteen he was playing keyboards and singing in local Bands in Kingston, and had the opportunity at age seventeen to perform in bands for then rising Reggae Star Bob Marley and the Wailers. 

The road to New Orleans where Dex now resides has been colored with decades of experience, performing on tours in Asia and Europe with some of the nineteen eighties’ best reggae artists, (Frankie Paul, Shinehead etc.)and as opening Acts for R&B icons Chaka Khan and Luther Vandross. 

Much of his experience though was molded on the streets of New York City, where he honed his skills as an R&B and Caribbean keyboard player and songwriter, and where he learned to play the Steel Drum from the world’s best Steel Pan Players.

A yearning to compose and perform his own original material led Dex in 1989 to create and manage the JAM-X Band. 

JAM-X was one of the best-known Reggae-Caribbean groups playing the Long Island New York Hamptons and New Jersey Shore summer circuit between 1995 and 2001 and by 2005 was providing Caribbean entertainment for clients like President Bill Clinton and Jerry Seinfeld. 

Dex Daley has also performed with Jimmy Cliff in NY, as keyboardist and Steel Drummer for JAM-X Band. 

However, after numerous visits to New Orleans, including the 2011 Jazz fest and 2012 Mardi Gras, the city’s magical cultural, musical and culinary allure, and was finally more than Dex could resist. 

The similarity of New Orleans’ friendly disposition to his native Jamaica was unmistakable.

In late 2012 Dex packed up his keyboard and Steel Pan, relocated his music base to New Orleans, and immediately wrote two songs (Told Ya and Zulu Parade) about the experience. 

The New Orleans music community warmly welcomed the fusion of the Reggae & Steel Drum sound with the traditional New Orleans Jazz and blues style. Noted musicians Delfeayo Marsalis and Kermit Ruffins invited Dex to join them on stage during their performances. 

Dex performed regularly at ‘Prime Example Jazz Club’, ‘Reggae Nights at ‘The Lighthouse at Pontchartrain Landing’ in New Orleans East and ‘Bourbon Heat Club’ in the heart of the French Quarter. Dex can also be heard performing on Kermit Ruffins’ latest Album.

Dex Daley & JAM-X appeared at the 2014 Bayou Boogaloo Festival, the 2016 French Quarter Festival, and recently on New Orleans WWL-TV Morning Show celebrating Bob Marley’s Birthday in Feb, 2019. 

The Arkansas-born, New Orleans-based Blues, R&B, Funk and Reggae guitarist/ artist, who enjoys a strong following in the city, is now taking his career to the next level,. Sebastian’s family roots in the city’s music go back to his great uncle, Big Bill Broonzy, a widely acclaimed bluesman who counted the legendary Mahalia Jackson among his friends in the business. 

After more than two decades as a performer himself, the “Big Easy,” is where he found his creative home in 1986. He was drawn to New Orleans music because its culturally rooted style was an extension of his own sensibilities as an artist. Four years later, his struggle for recognition among so much homegrown talent, including mentors Leo Nocentelli, Walter Wolfman and Warren Batiste, led to a move to Atlanta. He wrote and recorded music that received airplay on the Georgia State University radio station (WRAS-FM), which led to his performing throughout the area with a five-piece band. 

When his own group broke up, SEBASTIAN joined the R&B band Billy Ball and the Upsetters as rhythm and lead guitarist, touring the South and the Midwest. After four  years on the road, SEBASTIAN returned to the New Orleans music scene in 1997, determined to make his presence felt. He appeared on Chuck C’s 1999 recording of “Another Sleepless Night,” produced by Cyril Neville. His transition to the Reggae genre, another reflection of his interest in roots music, came when he joined the Irie Vibrations band and performed on their 2004 release, Red Hot Reggae. 

While he played with local acts on Bourbon Street, as well as in clubs and churches, his passion and growing popularity as a street performer set the stage for the release of his CD, On the Streets of New Orleans, in 2006 and with the release of Raw Beginning 2009.

But as a freelance artist, he was drawback to Reggae in 2012-2015 and worked with bands/artist such as, The Shepherd Band 2, Errol Blackwood, Kyra Noons & the Neutral Sister, Milton Blake, and Warrior King.

In 2015-2018 he had an opportunity to work with Baton Rouge based and St Louis, Mo. native Blues artist, Ms Silky Sol the Red Afro Queen and performed at the 2016 Baton Rouge Blues Fest, and played the local and regional areas.

As of 2018 - present I currently work with the reggae veteran and extraordinaire Dex Daley & JAMX band and New Orleans based. The band has toured/performed regional and national in the United States.

Born and raised in  New Orleans, Benjamin Williams has been living the life of a Musician since the age of five.

He is a multi-instrumentalist, who plays Upright and Electric Bass, Keyboard , Sax, Trumpet, Tuba,  and  a number of genre, including Pop, Funk, R&B, Soul, Traditional and Contemporary Jazz, Motown, Rock, Blues, Big Band and Disco.

Benjamin's Musical destiny started at the age of five after hearing a family member play the piano. From that moment, he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

At age14, he was the organist for the Bethel A.M.E African Methodist Episcopal Church Youth Chior and played trumpet and tuba for a Christian second-line band.

In High School, Ben played alto and tenor saxophones in the marching band and baritone saxophone in the concert band, winning a talent show contest playing Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" on piano, He also taught himself to play drums and bass guitar.

By Senior High School he played tenor saxophone in the marching band and the upright string bass in concert band.

He attended Southern University & A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA where he march again with the tenor, and played the bass guitar with the SU Stage Band Collegians and began studying Jazz and classical piano.

Ben’s tenure on New Orleans’ Bourbon St. began with his first gigs playing drums At The Famous Door Patio in the late 1990's.

During the last years of college he joined the band "Premiere" in New Orleans and performed such events as opening for Frankie Beverly & Maze at Armstrong Arena and for The Meters at the "House Of Blues" in New Orleans.

He started playing regularly in the French Quarter with numerous bands from the late 1990's through the mid 2000's and at numerous concerts around the US. Including, House Of Blues (New Orleans), House Of Blues (Boston), Ben & Jerry's Festival (Vermont).

Ben has performed with numerous Bands as a Bassist including ‘Irie Dawtas"’Reggae Band, and  The Commanche Hunters’ Mardi Gras Indian Group at New Orleans Jazzfest, His other Bass conquests include ‘Gary Brown & Feelings’ band at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Orvieto, Italy, ‘The Space Heaters’ band, ‘The Wild Magnolias’, ‘Nadja Cojoe & the Jazz Experience’, ‘Jus Fuh Nah’, ‘John Pierre & Expressions’, ‘BRW’, and made his debut collaboration  ‘Dex Daley & JAM-X’. in 2016.

Ben is cousin to Legendary Motown Funk Brother guitarist Eddie "Chank" Willis.