Grammy nominated and award-winning saxophonist BEN WENDEL releases THE SEASONS

In 2015, Grammy nominated and award-winning saxophonist, bassoonist, composer Ben Wendel released a music-video art project entitled The Seasons - inspired by a set of twelve piano pieces written and released each month by one of his favorite classical composers, Tchaikovsky, in 1876. Wendel's modern take on the idea was to compose and release twelve original jazz chamber duets in video format with modern luminaries such as Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Gilad Hekselman, Eric Harland, Matt Brewer, Julian Lage, Ambrose Akinmusire,among others. "The idea and goal of The Seasons was a simple one: 12 original pieces dedicated to 12 musicians I deeply admire, released over 12 months via YouTube. Though this ended up being one of the most challenging and complex projects I've ever attempted, it also turned out to be one of the most rewarding," says Wendel.

Wendel continues, "the reception was positive and fascinating!" Although Wendel never played the music live nor released it as a CD, it was nominated as one of the best 'albums' of the year by The New York Times and featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and The CBC. A few years passed, he was further inspired by Lee Krasner's work titled The Seasons (on permanent display at The Whitney Museum), and in 2018 was given the incredible opportunity to lead his own group at the famed Village Vanguard in New York. "I thought this was the perfect moment to take The Seasons project into the next phase. I put together a quintet made up of artists from the original video series and the music was transformed from the intimate setting of duos to something much grander in the hands of these master musicians," states Wendel.

The uniqueness of this recording, and the upcoming tour dates, is that this music was never played live or released as a traditional album. So this is the premiere of an exciting new chapter in The Seasons project. "I couldn't be more grateful and excited", says Wendel. 

The Seasons Band is comprised of some of the most compelling musicians on the scene, and dear friends, Aaron Parks (piano), Gilad Hekselman (guitar), Matt Brewer (bass) and Eric Harland (drums). The Seasons is Wendel's follow-up recording to the critically acclaimed What We Bring (on Motema, September 2016).

More on Ben Wendel: 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, whom he will be touring with this September, performing music from Anti-Hero (on Motema), including the single, "How High" (featuring Inara George).

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.   

  

Upcoming Tour Dates:

With Kneebody:

Sept 14 - Frost School of Music - Coral Gables, FL

Sept 15 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA (dbl bill w/Donny McCaslin)

Sept 16 - Le Poisson Rouge - NYC

Sept 17 - Blues Alley - Washington, D.C.

Sept 18 - MilkBoy - Philadelphia, PA

Sept 19 - Regent Theater - Los Angeles, CA (dbl bill w/Donny McCaslin)

Sept 20 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA (dbl bill w/Donny McCaslin)

Sept 21 - Art Boutiki - San Jose, CA

Sept 23 - Valley Bar - Phoenix, AZ

Sept 24 - The Triple Door, Seattle, WA (dbl bill w/Donny McCaslin)

Sept 25 - Star Theater - Portland, OR (dbl bill w/Donny McCaslin)

Sept 27 & 28 - Dazzle at Baur's - Denver, CO

With The Ben Wendel Seasons Band:

Oct 14 & 15 - Duc Des Lombards, Paris, France

Oct 17 - Blue Note, Milano, Italy

Oct 18 - Sunset Jazz Club, Girona, Spain

Oct 19 - Zig Zag Jazz Club - Berlin, Germany

Oct 20 - Jazzclub Domicil, Dortmund, Germany

Oct 21 - Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles, Belgium

Oct 23 - Jazzclub Unterfahrt, Munich, Germany

Oct 25 - Belgrade Jazz Festival, Belgrade, RS

Oct 27 - Lantaren Venster, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Oct 28 - Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Nov 29 - The Regattabar, Cambridge, MA

Dec 1 - Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA

Dec 6-9 - Jazz Standard, NYC