A band with
a long history, a deep mutual respect, and a dedicated fanbase, Kneebody marks
a new beginning with their October 18, 2019 Edition Records release, Chapters,
the band’s seventh album and their first full album since they became a four
piece with the extraordinary Nate Wood taking the simultaneous roles of drummer
and bassist. Keyboardist Adam Benjamin, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and
saxophonist Ben Wendel complete this leaderless band – or rather, each member
is the leader; they’ve developed their own musical language, inventing a unique
cueing system that allows them each to change the tempo, key, style, and more
in an instant. Featured on the album is a stellar array of guests, including
Michael Mayo, Gretchen Parlato, Gerald Clayton, Josh Dion and Becca Stevens.
The band previously worked with Mayo, Stevens, Clayton, and Dion on their
digital EP By Fire, which was Kneebody’s first foray into modern covers. That
experience led to an extended collaboration with these guests and the recently
added Parlato for Chapters, featuring all original compositions.
“The title references the episodic nature of life and the way
our personal stories begin to form a narrative as we accumulate more time on
the planet,” states Endsley. “Kneebody feels like a family. We came together as
young people and have spent all these years growing together. We have our
personal chapters and we have our chapters as a band, and they all intertwine.
Sometimes we have to look back to realize what a given chapter was about and sometimes
it can be noted in the present. At this time, Kneebody is clearly entering a
new period and this album illustrates the passage.”
Chapters
displays a musical confidence and a sublime musical language that highlights
Kneebody’s trademark sound of displaced beats, infectious riffs and haunting
unison horns blended with compelling affected solos. With an explosive vitality
and exuberance, and, at the flick of a switch, the ability to switch from a
wall of monstrous improvisations to a sound of nuanced sweetness, Chapters epitomizes Kneebody’s reason for being.
Kneebody
channels an explosive energy paralleled with nuanced chamber ensemble playing
while showcasing highly wrought compositions that are balanced with adventurous
no-holds-barred improvisation. The band performs the feat of creating music
that’s both musicians’ music as well as music for the people, with Chapters
being one of Kneebody’s most spirited and accomplished albums to date. “We have
the original quintet, the new quartet, and we have the arrival of these
wonderful guests. From here, we begin the next chapter of our story,” says
Endsley.
Upcoming
Kneebody Tour Dates
Oct. 3 - 5 /
Blue Whale / Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 6 / The
Art Boutiki / San Jose, CA
Oct. 8 /
Frankie's Jazz Club / Vancouver, BC
Oct. 9 /
Earshot Jazz Festival / Seattle, WA
Oct. 10 /
The Jack London Revue / Portland, OR
Oct. 24 /
The Ardmore Music Hall / Ardmore, PA
Oct. 25 /
BRIC JazzFest / Brooklyn, NY
Nov. 8 / Le
Crescent Jazz Club / Macon, France
Nov. 9 / La
Spirale / Fribourg, Switzerland
Nov. 12 - 13
/ Duc Des Lombards / Paris, France
Nov. 14 /
Jazzclub Unterfahrt / Munich, Germany
Nov. 15 /
Zig Zag Jazz Club / Berlin, Germany
Nov. 17 /
Jazzhaus Freiburg / Freiburg, Germany
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