Arizona Slam Poet, Performer, and Community Builder
Ben Gardea, known throughout the Southwest poetry scene as B-Jam, is a nationally recognized slam poet, performer, and workshop leader based in Phoenix, Arizona. A driving force in the Arizona spoken word community, Gardea blends personal vulnerability, rhythmic delivery, and social awareness into performances that resonate across audiences and generations.
B-Jam’s journey to poetry began not in a classroom, but through recovery, resilience, and self-reinvention. After facing a life-altering struggle with avascular necrosis and undergoing multiple hip replacements, Gardea found his voice in the rhythms of spoken word at venues like Lawn Gnome Publishing and The Lost Leaf— using poetry as both healing and rebellion. His work stands as an invitation for others to speak their truths aloud, transforming pain into presence and survival into art.
As Arizona State Champion of the Arizona State Poetry Society (ASPS) and a Top 10 nationally ranked slam poet at the National Poetry Slam hosted by New Mexico’s Blackberry Peach, B-Jam’s performances are known for their precision, musical cadence, and emotional intensity. His work combines the personal and the political, the raw and the redemptive — embodying the ethos of a poet who lives what he writes.
Poetic Style & Themes
B-Jam’s poetry thrives in the space between rhythm and revelation. His performances draw from the oral tradition of hip-hop and slam poetry, carrying the same pulse as a drumbeat or heartbeat — honest, urgent, and unapologetically human.
Themes of recovery, faith, fatherhood, disability, and identity appear throughout his work. Rather than offering polished conclusions, his poems stay in motion, revealing the daily process of becoming. Whether he’s unpacking the weight of survival, the ache of transformation, or the joy of community, B-Jam writes with a voice that feels lived-in, deeply empathetic, and grounded in Arizona’s desert landscapes.
He has said that poetry, for him, is “not a performance but a conversation with every version of myself that made it here.” That intimacy defines his work — connecting audiences not just to his story, but to their own.
Community Work & Performance
Beyond the stage, B-Jam is one of Arizona’s most active poetry organizers and mentors. He serves as the Spoken Word and Slam Coordinator for the Arizona State Poetry Society, where he helps bridge page and stage, guiding poets toward both competitive and collaborative spaces.
He also hosts the monthly Phoenix Poetry Slam, held at The Lost Leaf and Heritage HQ, two long-running hubs for Arizona’s creative community. Under his leadership, the Phoenix Slam has become a cornerstone of the Arizona spoken word scene, offering open mics, featured readings, and safe spaces for emerging artists to test and share new work.
B-Jam’s commitment to community extends statewide — he regularly travels to Prescott, Tucson, and Flagstaff to perform, judge, and host workshops, helping build a connected network of poets throughout the state. His mentorship of younger performers and first-time poets has helped dozens find confidence in their own voices, creating ripple effects that continue to strengthen Arizona’s literary landscape.
Recognition & Awards
In addition to his Arizona State Championship, B-Jam has represented the state on national stages, including the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam and other regional showcases. His performance work has been featured on stages and digital platforms alike, recognized for its authenticity, musical timing, and emotional range.
Media outlets and organizations including the Arizona State Poetry Society, Prescott Poetry Series, and Fountain Hills Times have highlighted Gardea’s contributions as a performer, teacher, and advocate for accessible art.
Workshops & Mentorship
As a teaching artist, B-Jam leads “Page to Stage: The Journey,” a workshop designed to help writers transform written poems into performance-ready pieces. The series walks poets through the entire process — from crafting honest drafts to finding breath, tone, and rhythm onstage. His workshops often blend elements of mindfulness, movement, and performance technique, helping participants not only strengthen their craft but also deepen their relationship with their voice.
Students consistently describe his mentorship as empowering and deeply human — a space where laughter, tears, and growth share the same breath.
Legacy & Influence in Arizona Poetry
In an era where poetry often lives fleetingly online, B-Jam’s work reclaims poetry as a living act — a gathering, a pulse, a community. His influence in Arizona’s spoken word revival is felt not only in his own performances but in the countless poets he’s coached, encouraged, and celebrated.
Through his leadership with the Arizona State Poetry Society, his hosting of live slams, and his teaching practice, Ben Gardea continues to elevate the art form throughout the Southwest. His poetry reminds audiences that voice is a form of survival and that every poem spoken aloud plants a seed for someone else’s courage.
Today, whether onstage in downtown Phoenix or leading a workshop in a small Arizona town, B-Jam stands as one of the state’s most powerful examples of poetry in motion — living proof that storytelling, when rooted in truth, can heal and transform both the writer and the world around them.