Ben Wendel - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

BaRcoDe
Release Date: March 13, 2026
Label: Edition Records

BaRcoDe, the self-titled new ensemble and debut album from GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist, composer, and Kneebody co-founder Ben Wendel features a powerhouse lineup of genre-defying vibraphonists and percussionists — Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan, and Juan Diego Villalobos — the group developed its sound across two multi-night residencies at The Jazz Gallery in 2023 and 2025. The resulting album, recorded in early 2025 at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, marks an intrepid new chapter in Wendel’s creative trajectory, blending intricate composition with chamber textures and electroacoustic interplay.

A two-time GRAMMY® nominee, Wendel earned recognition in 2024 for All One (Best Contemporary Instrumental Album), and in 2010 for Twelve Songs by Charles Ives, a collaboration between Kneebody and Theo Bleckmann (Best Classical Crossover Album). His music — spanning post-bop, chamber jazz, modern composition, and electronic experimentation — has drawn praise for its range and originality.

Wendel has been the subject of glowing features in The NY Times, DownBeat, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and more. All About Jazz lauded his 2012 album Frame, writing, “The saxophonist inhabits a sound as close to singing through the reed as is humanly possible.” Jazz Weekly, reviewing All One, noted: “Wendel creates an elegiac album without drum and bass… mixing fanfares, declarations, impressions and standards with a mix-and-match team of artists.”

BaRcoDe brings together four of the most innovative voices in contemporary percussion. Joel Ross, a Blue Note recording artist, has redefined the vibraphone through acclaimed releases like KingMaker and The Parable of the Poet, and is widely regarded as one of his generation’s most expressive improvisers. Simon Moullier — praised by Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock, and known for his customized quarter-tone vibraphone — expands the instrument’s vocabulary with global idioms and electronics.

Patricia Brennan is celebrated for her exploratory solo work and collaborations with avant-garde leaders like Mary Halvorson and John Zorn, using extended techniques and real-time processing to reimagine the vibraphone’s role. Venezuelan-born Juan Diego Villalobos draws on Afro-Caribbean traditions and experimental electronics, bringing a folkloric yet futuristic energy to the ensemble’s sound.

“This is just me continuing to be me. I just can’t seem to do normal projects,” Wendel says with a laugh. (Case in point: All One, recorded during lockdown, featured an “orchestra of himself” — layered woodwinds of saxophone and bassoon with a different guest soloist on each track.)

Noticing a surge of remarkable young vibraphonists on the scene, the concept for BaRcoDe crystallized when Wendel received a commission from Rio Sakairi, Artistic Director of The Jazz Gallery. “I thought it would be really cool to highlight that emergence — and speak to my own upbringing and love of classical and new music.”

One key inspiration was Sō Percussion, the boundary-pushing ensemble known for collaborations with artists ranging from Vijay Iyer to Philip Glass — and with whom Wendel connected during his undergraduate years at the Eastman School of Music. “I’ve always had that sound in my head,” he explains. “I thought, let me write something for an ensemble of players that could be a really cool meeting of worlds.” As the music incubated during the Jazz Gallery residencies, each musician’s role crystallized. The result, Wendel says, “lives in its own little universe.”

BaRcoDe opens with “Clouds”, an homage to the minimalist aesthetic of percussion quartets. “It begins with two vibraphonists hocketing off each other,” Wendel says. “I wanted to write something that showcases what the vibraphone can do — those leaping, intervallic lines — but also translate that to the saxophone. I really challenged myself to make it virtuosic in that way.”

Wendel’s original “Mimo,” is titled after the Czech word for “outside” — a quiet tribute to his Czech-born wife. “It can mean ‘outside’ literally, or it can mean metaphorically — to be outside of something,” Wendel explains. “I thought it was a nice word for this piece that shifts through identities and goes in and out of different meters.”

Wendel calls Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Olha Maria” “one of my favorite compositions of all time,” and renders it here with quiet reverence. “It’s been covered in so many different ways, but in this instrumentation, I saw a way forward. Harmonically, it remains pretty true to the original, but I added and extended some sections to create solo forms and whatnot.”

Kneebody fans may recognize “Repeat After Me” from the band’s 2025 album Reach. “That’s going to be really fun for people to hear,” Wendel predicts. “The vibraphone–marimba version of this piece, and then Kneebody’s jazz-on-steroids version.” He adds: “It’s actually a subtly difficult song, because it’s essentially a repeated note that never really repeats in a predictable pattern. It’s almost like Morse code.”

“Birds Ascend,” is loosely inspired by British pianist Kit Downes and Scottish contemporary fiddle player and composer Aidan O’Rourke. Mostly through-composed, it pushes the virtuosic potential of both Wendel and his ensemble.

BaRcoDe closes with “Lonely One,” in which Wendel brings out his signature whistling technique, though the title hints at something deeper. A child of divorce, Wendel spent long stretches of his youth alone. “It was a mixture of being lonely, but also really enjoying being alone — just being in my own world. Those memories and the feeling they evoke I call my ‘happy/sad place’ — that’s what I tried to capture in the piece.”

And with that, he carves out a new niche in his singular aesthetic — and as one of jazz’s most unpredictable and compelling architects, continues to keep listeners guessing.

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Label: Edition Records

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard is Ben Wendel's latest album and it was recorded during a series of intimate performances at the storied venue in November 2022, Understory captures the quintessential essence of Wendel's artistry and the iconic atmosphere of the Village Vanguard, one of jazz’s most hallowed stages. Accompanying Wendel is a superstar ensemble featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Obed Calvaire.

The album begins with an arresting solo performance by Wendel on tenor saxophone. In the opening track, “Lu,” he sets the stage with a meticulously rendered broken arpeggio, its crisp staccato resonating through the uniquely shaped basement of the Village Vanguard. This moment of solitary sound is not merely an introduction but an invocation—a nod to the storied history of the club and its legendary past performers.

“There's a power to hearing just one individual playing an instrument,” Wendel explains. “During the Vanguard run, I often started sets alone to highlight the sensory experience of the space. The acoustics at the Vanguard are so intimate that it feels as if the sound is physically embracing you.”

Wendel’s solo introduction is an homage to the jazz greats who have graced this stage, from Sonny Rollins to John Coltrane. It reflects his deep connection to the club’s spirit, which he likens to a benevolent force enveloping musicians with a sense of acceptance and encouragement. “The Vanguard has absorbed all the joy and musical electricity over the decades,” Wendel muses. “Stepping onto that stage felt like a warm embrace from the spirits of of this music.”

Recording live at the Village Vanguard is a significant milestone in any jazz musician’s career. For Wendel, it prompted a moment of reflection and a chance to evaluate his journey as both a composer and instrumentalist. Known for his expansive approach to jazz, Wendel’s work often extends beyond traditional boundaries, incorporating diverse influences and experimental elements. A noted example is his previous album All One, released around the time of the Vanguard date captured on Understory. All One offered lush, sprawling orchestral backdrops designed to surround various soloists, including vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant and others, and went on to produce Wendel’s first-ever GRAMMY® nomination as a leader.

“I’ve always had a broad curiosity about music,” Wendel says, acknowledging his mother’s influence as a successful opera singer. “I love exploring sounds from different genres and cultures. My work isn’t confined to any one style or tradition.”

Wendel’s diverse discography highlights his range, from his role as a founding member of the genre-defying collective Kneebody to collaborations with artists like Tigran Hamasyan, Bill Frisell, and Snoop Dogg. His commitment to exploration is further exemplified by his work with Japanese shamisen masters and Afro-Cuban musicians, as well as his innovative project with audio-reactive lighting and dance at BIMHUIS in Amsterdam.

Understory is a testament to Wendel’s collaborative spirit. The album features his quartet, comprising long-standing associates in Clayton, Oh, and Calvaire. Their shared history and mutual understanding allow for a dynamic and nuanced interplay that enhances the compositional depth of Wendel’s music.

The album includes original compositions crafted specifically for this engagement, such as “Lu,” which challenges the musicians with its complex metric structures. Other tracks, like “Tao,” delve into contemplative moods, reflecting Wendel’s ability to push boundaries while maintaining a connection to jazz’s core traditions.

Wendel also pays homage to jazz history with tracks like “Proof,” a contrafact of Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence,” and a rendition of “On the Trail,” famously recorded by Jimmy Heath and Wynton Kelly. These pieces showcase Wendel’s technical prowess and his deep appreciation for jazz’s rich heritage.

The creative process behind Understory involved not only the exploration of new musical territories but also a commitment to authenticity. Wendel’s approach emphasizes allowing the musicians to be themselves within the framework of his compositions. “If I did my job right,” he explains, “the musicians don’t have to go against their nature. They play as themselves within the structure of the music, and that’s beautiful.”

All One
Release date: April 14, 2023
Label: Edition Records
GRAMMY NOMINEE

All One is the latest masterwork from saxophonist Ben Wendel. The boundless Wendel airs his instrumental variety on All One, heard here on tenor and soprano saxophone, bassoon, EFX and hand percussion. He braves six imaginative, cultivated arrangements alongside the finest crew of collaborators, including vocalists Cécile McLorin Salvant and José James, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Tigran Hamasyan and flutist Elena Pinderhughes.

The roots of All One can be traced to Wendel’s teenage years as a band geek. There were scores for orchestra around the house (at the time his mom, Dale Franzen, was a lyric soprano with the Los Angeles Opera); despite having no theory training, he attempted to write woodwind quintet arrangements of the pieces he loved, like Holst’s symphonic cycle “The Planets”. You know, for fun. “I’d gather up my friends and we’d try to play these great pieces,” Wendel recalls. “Why in God’s name I was interested in that, I don’t know. I was maybe 14 – I had zero harmonic knowledge. I’d look at the score and listen to the music and just guess. But I just loved the sounds you can get with a group of woodwinds or brass.”

GRAMMY® nominated Wendel is well versed in the collaborative dynamic as an artist, composer and producer. His acclaimed 2018 The Seasons began as a series of monthly duets with artists like Julian Lage and Joshua Redman, which were shared via YouTube before the album was made. He’s co-written songs with artists like Julia Holter, Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato and has been involved in sustained – and terrifically inventive – group exploration with Kneebody. The leaderless group, which first recorded in 2005, was at the leading edge of what came to be called post-jazz – its volatile, high-intensity approach connected the rhythmic languages of electronica and indie rock rhythms with wild, highly technical and frequently frenetic group interaction.

All One was a different beast. Wendel recognized that it couldn’t revolve entirely around improvisation. Working remotely, mid-pandemic, he’d need to establish some structural frameworks, the outline of the sculpture, before anything else could happen. Still in the thrall of large ensemble winds and still playing his first instrument, the bassoon, he began to hatch a recording project involving a woodwind choir backing singers or instrumentalists. It was still unrealistic to plan a conventional session with a large group of musicians in a studio. Next best option: A DIY orchestra, the Wendel ensemble. He began to sketch arrangement ideas for a multi tracked chorale of tenor saxophones and bassoons, with him playing all the parts. At the least, he reasoned, he’d have fun with it as an experiment.

Once the material was selected, Wendel began developing the arrangements. Though he used software programs, he avoided MIDI entirely; when his woodwinds suggest the sound of a low-brass choir, that’s not some fancy plug-in, that’s him. He thought about how each piece should unfold and sought unconventional ways to create dynamics and tension. He explored using close-knit chords by multitracking several bassoons; here, his exacting sense of intonation, honed at the Eastman School of Music, was crucial. “When you create dense harmony but are able to play with a hyper in-tune approach, it’s possible to make something that sounds really big,” Wendel says, adding that he rarely doubled the same notes twice. “I wanted this lush, big density while trying to hide the fact that it was all me.”

Some of the pieces, like Salvant’s mesmeric rendition of “I Loves You Porgy” feature 30 different woodwind parts. Sometimes the tenor sax goes through an octave pedal and is pitched lower, to create a bassline. Sometimes bass is handled by bassoon – or bassoons. Wendel and engineer Steve Wood got granular as parts were added, experimenting with reverbs of different lengths and depths, panning instruments to the extremes of the soundscape, using digital post-production tools to create a multidimensional space.

Wendel sent each artist a rough version of the completed arrangement but offered very little written (or verbal) instruction – believing that it was his responsibility to create an atmosphere in which his collaborators would feel comfortable. “These are just such strong musical identities – who am I to tell them anything? I wanted a situation where it was evident [from the arrangement] that I knew the artist well, and they could take it from there. I just wanted them to do what they do – to me I’m successful if I don’t have to say anything at all.”

In final form, these pieces reveal previously under-emphasized dimensions of Wendel’s musicianship – his deep understanding of classical harmony, his tactical deployments of dissonance, his knack for conjuring memorably lyrical counterpoint lines and swirling, impressionistic sonic arrays. Still, for all the forethought that went into these arrangements, the music feels alive. That’s directly attributable to Wendel’s improvisational dexterity on the tenor: In brief, dazzlingly expansive solo bursts, he stretches the melodic ideas beyond the confines of the score, refracting established themes into vibrant, unexpectedly shape-shifted variations.