Ben Wendel
Ben Wendel (born February 20, 1976 in Vancouver, Canada)is a Canadian-American jazz saxophonist, composer, bassoonist, and pianist. He is best known for being a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Kneebody. He has also performed as a leader or sideman with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Ignacio Berroa, Daedelus, Taylor Eigsti, and Tigran Hamasyan.
Background
Ben was born in Vancouver, Canada, and raised in Santa Monica, California by a musical family.[1] He studied at the Eastman School of Music, where he met other future members of Kneebody. After graduation, he returned to Los Angeles,[2] where he freelanced and performed the first shows with Kneebody. Since then, he now lives in Brooklyn, New York[when?]. As a leader, he has released albums on Sunnyside Records, and has appeared on many others. He composes for film and won an ASCAP Jazz Composer Award as well a New Works grant from Chamber Music America[citation needed]. As a producer, he worked with Kent Nagano to produce concerts for the Festpeil Plus in Munich, Germany, and produces a new performing arts series at The Edye in Santa Monica, California. He was an adjunct professor of jazz at the University of Southern California[when?].[3]
Discography
As leader
- 2009: Simple Song (Sunnyside)
- 2012: Frame (Sunnyside)
As sideman
Collaboration with Dan Tepfer
- Small Constructions (2013)
With Kneebody
- Kneebody (2005)
- Low Electrical Worker (2007)
- Kneebody Live: Volume One' (2007)
- Twelve Songs By Charles Ives (2009) (With Theo Bleckmann)
- Kneebody Live: Volume Two: Live in Italy (2009)
- You Can Have Your Moment (2010)
- Kneebody Live: Volume Three: Live in Paris (2011)
- The Line (2013)
With Todd Sickafoose
- Blood Orange
- Tiny Resistors
With Tigran Hamasyan
- World Passion
- Arrata Rebirth
- Shadow Theater
With Taylor Eigsti
- Lucky To Be Me
- Let It Come To You
With Otmaro Ruiz
- Sojourn
With Tony Scott
- A Jazz Life
With Daedelus
- Meanwhile...
- Live Airplane Food
- Invention
- Tigerbeats 6 Inc.
- Adventure Time
- Spacesettings
With Dakah Hip-Hop Orchestra
- Unfinished Symphony
- Dakah Live @ Grand Performances
- Scion Sampler
- Dakah Live @ The North Beach Jazz Festival
With Adam Rudolph
- Go: Organic Orchestra: 1
- Web Of Light
With Good Charlotte
- Good Morning Revival
With Marco Antonio Solis
- Trozos de Mi Alma
With Michael Whittaker
- Modern World
With Atlantiquity
- Kleeer
With Jason Mraz
With Austin Peralta
- Endless Planets
References
External links
- Official site [1]
