BEN WENDEL

“A modern saxophonist and composer at the top of his game.” – NPR

Experience an evening of powerful electroacoustic jazz with the Ben Wendel Group, featuring four of the jazz world’s most exciting and celebrated musicians.

Virtuosic tenor saxophonist and composer Ben Wendel is at the height of his powers, with multiple Grammy nominations and credits including Bill Frisell, Terence Blanchard, Antonio Sanchez, Gerald Clayton, Tigran Hamasyan, Prince, and countless others. Wendel is perhaps best known as co-founder of the groundbreaking jazz fusion band Kneebody, with whom he has appeared for over two decades. Ben is on the prestigious roster of London-based Edition Records. His albums as a leader have drawn much critical praise in The NY Times, DownBeat, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, All About Jazz, and elsewhere. The 2023 release All One was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist Taylor Eigsti has performed with the likes of Chris Botti, Esperanza Spalding, Snarky Puppy, Chris Potter, Julian Lage, and many more. Taylor and Ben have collaborated on several albums over the years, and their sonic chemistry is undeniable! Upright bassist Harish Raghavan has worked with major figures from Charles Lloyd to Ambrose Akinmusire, Vijay Iyer, Eric Harland, and Marquis Hill. He has also recorded two albums as a leader on the esteemed Whirlwind Recordings label. Nate Wood is widely recognized for his innovative drumming with Kneebody, where he and Wendel have achieved an other-worldly level of communication. Wood has also been widely heard with Wayne Krantz, Donny McCaslin, Tigran Hamasyan, and on his own albums – playing several instruments simultaneously under the name fOUR.

Together as a veritable supergroup, these supremely accomplished artists deliver music that is sophisticated, fearless, and alive with collective interplay — modern jazz at its most thrilling and expressive best.