Saxophonist, composer, bandleader, educator, and catalyst Ben Wendel's What We Bring, available September 9, 2016 on
Motema Music (his 15th album as a leader or co-leader and his debut for
Motema), is panegyrical, acknowledging the great legacy and lexicon that he has
played and composed his way into. While composing the music for this album, it
occurred to Wendel that the evolution of a musical genre, or artist, is a
continuum that looks backwards and forwards at the same time. Wendel
elaborated, "What We Bring refers to the experience, inspiration and
shared wisdom that musicians collect and absorb throughout their lives, and how
that is expressed through their art. All of the pieces on this album are
dedicated to masters from the past, peers from the present and musicians of the
future. In my opinion, nothing springs from a vacuum - all that we make is
connected, influenced, and most importantly, indebted to what has been created
before us and around us in the present day. This album expresses my continued
acknowledgement and appreciation to all of those who have helped me along the
path, both directly and indirectly." Wendel added, "I get the most
joy when I find ways to express my love for the bravery of the people who came
before me, for the people who are doing this music now, and for the people who
will do this music in the future" (from the feature on Wendel by Ted
Panken, DownBeat Magazine, June 2016).
What impresses most about Wendel is that he has gleaned from
past masters, and his peers, far more than technique and chops to become an
artist who embodies the importance of finding your own voice, and the pluck to
follow your inner compass. This is fully revealed and represented on What We
Bring, which opens majestically and powerfully with "Amian", a
subconscious, compositional reaction to listening to Coltrane's
"Naima" hundreds of times in his formative years. Like
"Naima", "Amian" possesses a melody that floats over a
constant bass note, with shifting chord qualities, offering myriad moods and
colors.
"Fall" and "Spring" are two pieces
repurposed from Wendel's acclaimed Seasons project of 2015, featured on NPR's
All Things Considered, and in The New York Times
(www.npr.org/2015/07/28/427178381/saxophonist-ben-wendel-reimagines-tchaikovskys-the-seasons,www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/arts/music/with-the-seasons-ben-wendel-redefines-the-musical-encounter.html).
"They were originally written as duo pieces for the exceptional pianists
Taylor Eigsti and Aaron Parks. I felt they would be great vehicles for the quartet
and decided to arrange them for this album", commented Wendel.
"Doubt" is one of two covers on the album (the
other being the standard "Solar", given a highly-entertaining,
brainy, odd-meter face lift by Wendel & co.), by the indie-rock band Wye
Oak. "I fell in love with their music years ago and this track is
hauntingly beautiful in its mood and simplicity. What We Bring also refers to
what we listen to, and at this point, most jazz musicians listen to a wide
spectrum of music outside of our field. I wanted to showcase something that had
moved me along the way", said Wendel.
"Song Song" is dedicated to the great Ahmad Jamal,
and was inspired by his famous composition, "Poinciana". "I was
on tour with nothing to do one evening and watching countless performances of
'Poinciana' on YouTube. There's something incredibly meditative about the piece
that I've always loved - the rhythm section's commitment to playing one
beautiful groove throughout the song - not doing anything more, and most
importantly, not needing to. I recall waking up the following morning with the
bass line for 'Song Song' looping in my head", explained Wendel.
"Soli" rocks and swings and, like the rest of the
album, displays the band's ability to conduct complex maneuvers in complete
harmony with one another (the term "big ears" comes to mind). A track
like this will surely send fledgling musicians scurrying to the shed, and
prompt listeners to quickly hit "repeat." "Soli" is a
pre-written passage played in unison by multiple instruments. You can hear this
technique used in everything from classical music to big band music and Wendel
has always loved the sound of it. "In fact, I've always had at least one
piece on each album that highlights this approach. Though I don't know how long
this streak will continue, I can say this was perhaps the most challenging one
I've written to date", said Wendel.
One of the most emotive and gorgeous songs on What We Bring
is "Austin", "dedicated to the incredibly talented pianist
Austin Peralta, who left this world much too soon. I played with Austin on
'Endless Planets', his final album. I was deeply saddened by Austin's passing
and also incredibly moved at his funeral by the outpouring of love from
friends, family and musical peers. Many of his personal letters and writing
were read at the ceremony. I was struck by the depth of his inner life -
something he didn't show the outer world very much. I didn't get to see this
side of him until it was too late. This was something I was thinking about as I
wrote the piece," stated Wendel.
On What We Bring, Wendel's camaraderie with his fellow
musicians, Gerald Clayton (piano), Joe Sanders (bass) and Henry Cole (drums)
greatly informed his artistic choices and inspired him. He has stated (in a
recent feature by Bob Weinberg, Jazziz Magazine, Spring 2016) that, "it's
hard to know where the music starts and the friendship ends", and that,
"all of these layers of understanding and all the coded information that's
embedded in how you play together, it's so intermingled."
More on Ben Wendel: GRAMMY-nominated saxophonist Ben Wendel
was born in Vancouver, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. Currently living in
Brooklyn, NY, he has enjoyed a varied career as a performer, composer and
producer. Highlights include multiple domestic and international 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. Ben is a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated group Kneebody,
currently signed with Concord Records and Brainfeeder Music.
As a composer, he has received an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award,
the 2008 and 2011 Chamber Music America "New Works Grant" and most
recently was awarded the Victor Lynch-Staunton award 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."
Ben'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.
Ben is a former Adjunct Professor of Jazz Studies at USC and
a current Adjunct at the New School in NYC.
Educational outreach has been a constant in his career with over 250
masterclasses at various colleges, universities, high schools, and previous
work with the LA Philharmonic Artist Program.
Ben has recorded for Sunnyside Records, Concord Records and
Brainfeeder, with two solo albums under his belt, Simple Song (2009) and Frame
(2012), a duo project with French-American pianist Dan Tepfer entitled Small
Constructions (2013) and multiple Kneebody albums. His music video project, The
Seasons, inspired by Tchaikovsky's works of the same name, was released
throughout 2015 and included guests such as Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Mark
Turner, Julian Lage and more. Ben's third solo album What We Bring is planned
for release in the Fall of 2016 on Motema Music.
What We Bring - CD Release Tour:
Sept 14 -Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, NYC - 7:30 & 9:30 PM
Sept 15 - The Regattabar, Cambridge, MA - 7:30 PM
Sept 16 - Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT
Sept 17 - Chris' Jazz Cafe, Philadelphia. PA
Sept 19 & 20 - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Sept 21 - Constellation, Chicago IL, 7:30 & 9:30 PM
Sept 22 - Dazzle, Denver, CO, 7 & 9 PM
Sept 23-25 - SF Jazz Center - Joe Henderson Lab, San Francisco, CA,
7 & 8:30 PM (Fri/Sat), 5:30 & 7 PM (Sun)
Sept 26 - Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR
Sept 27 - Cornish Playhouse-Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
Sept 28 - The Old Church, Portland, OR, 7:30 PM
Sept 29 - Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 7 PM
Sept 30-Oct 1 - Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA, 8 PM
Oct 2 - Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
Oct 12-13 - Duc des Lombards, Paris, France
Oct 14 - Bimhuis, Amsterdam, NL
Oct 15 - Lantaren Venster, Rotterdam, NL
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