It was on the doorstep of the 2000s that Ben Harper, praised for his “exquisitely delicate jewels” as much as for the elegance of his interpretations, took a sharp electric turn with Burn to Shine (1999), his first recording with The Innocent Criminals. It would be eight years before he was back in the studio with the same Innocent Criminals, for the album Lifeline (2007). Still surrounded by his delinquents, a third opus finally came out in 2016, Call It What It Is, which the gang is exhibiting today at the Roman Theatre. Throughout the fifteen or so studio albums that have marked his career since 1994, Ben Harper has always demonstrated his taste for change with continuity, moving from his solo jewels (notably the first: Welcome To The Cruel World) to heartfelt encounters. These include collaborations with The Innocent Criminals, the legendary gospel ensemble The Blind Boys of Alabama, Relentless7, Fistfull of Mercy, blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite and even his own mother, Ellen Harper, for a moving return to his roots (Childhood Home, in 2014). All the while, sold-out international tours, gold and platinum discs and prestigious awards have made Ben Harper a global star. A campaigner for Tibet, an activist with Vote for Change and a defender of the animal cause, the native of Pomona (California) is also a committed artist.