PROJECTS:
A distinctive voice in contemporary jazz, Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer, and producer Ben Wendel has established himself as one of the most innovative and compelling musicians of his generation. The New York Times calls him an “Innovator” who “redefines the musical encounter,” while NPR describes him as “A modern saxophonist and composer at the top of his game.” DownBeat praises his ability to balance “intellectual curiosity with emotional and melodic impact,” and the Los Angeles Times describes him as “A composer with a restless sonic ear.”
Wendel is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Kneebody and has performed, toured, and recorded with an extraordinary range of artists, including Tigran Hamasyan, Bill Frisell, Terence Blanchard, Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Taylor Eigsti, Linda May Han Oh, Moonchild, Louis Cole, Daedelus, Snoop Dogg, and Prince. His discography includes eight acclaimed solo releases, from Simple Song (2009) to High Heart (2020), Grammy nominated All One (2023), and Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard (2024). His ambitious multimedia project The Seasons, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s compositions of the same name, featured an impressive roster of guest artists including Joshua Redman, Jeff Ballard, Mark Turner, Julian Lage, and Ambrose Akinmusire, and was named one of the best albums of the year by The New York Times.
THE BRECKER PROJECT: BEN WENDEL AND THE UNFINISHED MUSIC OF MICHAEL BRECKER
Saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel brings a remarkable musical story to life through a project inspired by the unfinished and unreleased work of jazz legend Michael Brecker. In the final years of his life, Brecker became fascinated by Bulgarian folk music and began creating a series of musical sketches that revealed an entirely new direction in his compositional journey. Years later, with the invitation and support of Susan and Randy Brecker, Wendel took on the challenge of developing these musical seeds into a completed body of work interspersed with his own original contributions. The music is performed by Wendel and an incredible band featuring Taylor Eigsti, Gilad Hekselman, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood -- honoring Brecker’s extraordinary imagination while bringing their own distinctive voice to the music.
Wendel says, “A few years ago, Susan and Randy Brecker asked me to take a look at a collection of unfinished compositions that Michael Brecker had been developing. Many of these pieces were inspired by Bulgarian folk melodies, but Michael had already begun transforming them through his own unique musical language—something deeply rooted in jazz while reaching far beyond it. This invitation was an incredible honor! Over time, I completed these works and added several original compositions of my own to create a 75-minute suite of music. The new pieces include a dedication to Randy Brecker as well as an original inspired by Bulgarian musical traditions, creating a dialogue between Michael’s ideas and my own. The music is performed by an incredible band featuring Taylor Eigsti, Gilad Hekselman, Harish Raghavan, Nate Wood, and myself. We premiered the project in New York City in 2026. For me, this project is both a celebration of Michael’s extraordinary creative voice and an opportunity to help bring these remarkable pieces fully into the world. It's been a deeply meaningful process—one that has allowed me to spend time inside Michael's musical imagination while contributing my own voice to the conversation.”
BaRcoDe
Ben Wendel presents BaRcoDe, a daring new electroacoustic project for saxophone and mallets (vibraphone, marimba, balafon and percussion). The project features four leading vibraphonists and percussionists – Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan, and Juan Diego Villalobos. Across intricate compositions and immersive sound design, BaRcoDe blurs the line between chamber music, modern jazz, and electronic experimentation, expanding Wendel’s creative language into new terrain.
PRESS QUOTES:
“A modern saxophonist and composer at the top of his game…”
NPR
“He has a keen ability to balance intellectual curiosity with emotional and melodic impact.”
DownBeat
“Innovator Ben Wendel redefines the musical encounter…”
The New York Times
“A composer with a restless sonic ear.”
The Los Angeles Times
“Compelling and often remarkable.”
Wall Street Journal
“One of the most formidable post-Michael Brecker tenor saxophonists on the scene today...”
DownBeat
“On Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard, Wendel distils his broad aesthetic sweep into enticing themes and the twisty narratives of a contemporary sax-and-rhythm quartet.”
Financial Times
“Wendel is known for his ferociously ambitious approach to playing jazz and Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard won’t disappoint fans of his distinctive voice as improvisor and composer.”
Jazzwise
“Those who wish to be called creative musicians should actually create music, and no one has done that better recently than Ben Wendel.”
LA Weekly
“A striking and distinctive player bursting with ideas.”
Ottawa Citizen
