Jazz Articles about Ben Wendel

About Ben Wendel

Radio & Podcasts

A Few of My Favorite 2026 Jazz Things (so far) - Part 4

by Ludovico Granvassu
July 7, 2026

We have pressed pause on our usual pursuit of the latest arrivals and instead revisited some of the sounds that made the first half of 2026 such a rewarding stretch for curious ears.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Seu Jorge “Caboclo" The Other Side (Phonomotor) 0:16 Host talks 5:04 Ryan Blotnick “The Woods" The Woods (Fishkill) 6:25 Michael Formanek “Aka the Stinger" New Digs (Intakt) 13:52 Host talks ...

Album Review

Ben Wendel: BaRcoDe

Read "BaRcoDe" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
May 18, 2026

Il nuovo progetto di Ben Wendel vede il sassofonista canadese a capo di un quintetto senza la tradizionale sezione ritmica ma comprendente quattro acclamati vibrafonisti: Patricia Brennan, Simon Moullier, Joel Ross e Juan Diego Villalobos che ampliano lo spettro strumentale usando anche marimba, balafon, varie percussioni e dispositivi elettronici. L'organico è davvero inusuale ma non ci sorprende. In due decenni di attività in veste di leader, cofondatore dei Kneebody, sideman e produttore, il sassofonista canadese ha mostrato d'essere ...

Radio & Podcasts

Ben Wendel: Assembling The Mallet Avengers

by Lawrence Peryer
April 18, 2026

Today, The Tonearm's needle drops on saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel.Ben is a Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer, and co-founder of Kneebody, with a discography that covers post-bop, chamber jazz, and electronic music. He's worked with Bill Frisell, Tigran Hamasyan, Terence Blanchard and yes, Prince.His album BaRcoDe (Edition Records, 2026) is built around a concept that's hard to pull off: four of the most in-demand vibraphonists working today--Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan, and Juan Diego Villalobos--surrounding one ...

Album Review

Ben Wendel: BaRcoDe

by Neil Duggan
April 3, 2026

BaRcoDe marks the formation of a new ensemble and the debut album from tenor saxophonist Ben Wendel. An electroacoustic project for saxophone and mallets, it brings together a stellar cast of contemporary vibraphonists and percussionists in Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan and Juan Diego Villalobos. A two-time Grammy nominee and co-founder of Kneebody, Wendel has performed and recorded with artists as varied as Bill Frisell, Tigran Hamasyan and Prince, accumulating numerous awards along the way. The ensemble ...

Play This!

Ben Wendel With Gilad Hekselman: October

by Mike Jacobs
February 4, 2026

Ben Wendel's 2015 The Seasons was initially a video-only project featuring the saxophonist in a different duet for each month of the year. The project was so successful, it later spawned a tour and a studio album [The Seasons (Motéma Music, 2018)] that featured Aaron Parks, Gilad Hekselman, Matt Brewer and Eric Harland. “October," with guitarist Hekselman, was a highlight of the original 12 duets for its seamless and inventive use of real-time technology--not to mention that it's pretty darn catchy.

Radio & Podcasts

A Few More of My Favorite 2024 Jazz Things - Part 3

by Ludovico Granvassu
November 22, 2024

Enjoy the third installment of our “fall edition" of favorite tunes from the past few months.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Ben Wendel “I Saw You Say" Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard (Edition) 0:16 Host talks 8:05 Ayumi Ishito “Sugar High People" Wondercult Club (577) 8:57 Host talks 13:14 Jake Long “Swamp" City Swamp (New Soil) 14:02 Søren Skov Orbit “Adrift" Adrift (Frederiksberg) 24:16 Host talks 26:11 ...

Album Review

Pascal Le Boeuf: Ritual Being

Read "Ritual Being" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
June 10, 2024

Come il fratello gemello--il sassofonista Remy--anche Pascal Le Boeuf affianca al talento strumentale (di pianista) alte doti di scrittura per ampi organici. Dopo i primi lavori in gruppi condivisi, i due hanno espresso proprie individualità. Il primo s'è imposto tra i protagonisti della nuova orchestrazione jazzistica pubblicando Assembly of Shadows e Architecture of Storms. Il secondo ha dato vita ad altri progetti, tra cui il trio con Linda May Han Oh e Justin Brown (Pascal's Triangle, 2013), le collaborazioni col ...