Ben Wendel

Ben Wendel enjoys a varied career as a performer, composer and producer and is widely respected as the co-leader of the long standing, GRAMMY nominated band, Kneebody. In his third solo album, acclaimed up-and-coming saxophonist Ben Wendel explores the influences that have shaped him as a musician, dedicating each of the 8 tracks on "What We Bring" to an artist that has had an impact on him. Wendel dedicates all of the pieces on this album to masters from the past, peers from the present and musicians of the future.

Recorded at the most storied of all jazz venues, Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard is the vibrant new album from master saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel featuring a world-class rhythm section — Gerald Clayton (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Obed Calvaire (drums)

All One is the inspired, multilayered and guest-starring new album from the master saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel - with every song featuring a different special guest forming a truly all-star lineup across the album.

High Heart is the fifth album by US saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel. Riding a surge of interest in his playing over the last few years, Ben returns with an album that defines where he is, and his place in the world. High Heart is a personal statement and reflection of Ben’s own journey in a society of increasing complexity, oversaturation, and social imbalance. It’s an album that opens discussion and raises questions about how artists ‘create art that is personal and meaningful in an increasingly impersonal time’.

In 2015, Canadian saxophonist Ben Wendel undertook a yearlong collaborative series, inviting an array of top-tier jazz colleagues to record duets of original pieces, each one titled for the corresponding month and released as performance videos. The Seasons gathers these 12 duo compositions and reimagines them in quintet form. And the quintet members, appropriately, were all first featured as duo partners: pianist Aaron Parks (“November”), guitarist Gilad Hekselman (“October”), bassist Matt Brewer (“March”), and drummer Eric Harland (“April”).

High Heart is the 5th album by US saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel. With a surge of interest in his profile over the last few years, Ben returns with an album that is his most definitive yet.

All One is the inspired, multilayered and guest-starring new album from the master saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel - with every song featuring a different special guest forming a truly all-star lineup across the album.

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard is the new album from master saxophonist Ben Wendel featuring the superstar team of Gerald Clayton - Piano, Linda May Han Oh - Bass, Vocals and Obed Calvaire - Drums.

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. 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. The impetus for this work came through one of my favorite classical composers. I fell in love with a set of twelve piano pieces written by Tchaikovsky called “The Seasons” – each piece was written for a different month in 1876 and at the time published in a music magazine. Inspired by this idea, I decided to compose a twelve-part cycle of chamber duos dedicated to some of my favorite musicians. Instead of a magazine, I am using the medium of video to publish the works.