GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Ben Wendel, born in Vancouver, Canada, raised in Los Angeles, and currently living in Brooklyn, continues to lead the way in audience engagement via social media and YouTube with his latest video series, “Standards With Friends” (featuring sessions with Mike Moreno, Jonathan Blake, Justin Brown, Larry Goldings, and others). Wendel has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer and producer, including tours with artists such as Ignacio Berroa, Tigran Hamasyan, Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Eric Harland, Taylor Eigsti, Snoop Dogg and the artist formerly known as Prince. Wendel is also a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated group Kneebody.
As a composer, he has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award, the 2008, 2011 and 2017 Chamber Music America “New Works Grant” and most recently was awarded the Victor Lynch-Staunton award and the Concept to Realization grant by the Canada Council For The Arts. He also co-wrote the score for John Krasinski’s adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men.
Wendel’s recent work includes producing and playing in jazz and many other genres, including the GRAMMY-nominated album Life Forum for pianist Gerald Clayton on Concord Records, the new Kneedelus album (Kneebody + Daedelus), released on Brainfeeder and given a rave 8.0 review from Pitchfork, appearing on Julia Holter's new film score, and collaborating with her on a new non-jazz album he is co-creating with Daedelus (the album will feature artists such as Terrace Martin, Knower and Mark Guiliana), producing an album for Folk/Americana artist Darryl Holter (a BMI Woody Guthrie Fellowship Recipient), playing on Jimmy Chamberlin's (drummer from Smashing Pumpkins) new instrumental album, and producing live concerts at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA from 2008-2015, with the help of Quincy Jones and his production team. He also recently worked with conductor Kent Nagano in producing a series of concerts for the Festspiel Plus in Munich, Germany.
Wendel has recorded for Sunnyside Records, Concord Records and Brainfeeder, including Simple Song (2009) and Frame (2012), a duo project with French-American pianist Dan Tepfer entitled Small Constructions (2013) and multiple Kneebody albums. Wendel’s critically acclaimed album What We Bring was released in the Fall of 2016 on Motema Music, and is now followed up by The Seasons, available October 12, 2018!
Ben Wendel: “I fell in love with a set of twelve piano pieces written by Tchaikovsky called ‘The Seasons’ – each piece was written for a different month in 1876 and at the time published in a music magazine. Inspired by this idea, I decided to compose a twelve–part cycle of chamber duos dedicated to some of my favorite musicians.” Wendel published his new recordings on video, and they formed the repertoire of a new Motema Music CD, The Seasons (released 10/12). “The duos are compositionally (and personally) related to the selected guests and their unique artistry. Each musician I have chosen has had a direct influence on my playing and has been a creative inspiration. Whether it is the rhythmic nuance of a drummer or the intervallic approach of a saxophonist, I’ve sought to match the composition to the selected artist’s voice as I envision it.” (B.W.)
Ben Wendel – saxophones
Taylor Eigsti – piano
Gilad Hekselman – guitar
Joe Sanders – bass
Mark Guiliana – drums