Somehwehere over the course of this last week, while watching the latest video of The Seasons, that I realized Ben Wendel is most certainly my favorite saxophonist this year. It's work like his monthly video series shot by Alex Chaloff wherein Wendel performs duets composed specifically with 12 different musicians inspired by Tchiakovsky's 1876 series of compositions of the … [Read more...]
The Seasons: June with Luciana Souza & Ben Wendel (Video)
Ben Wendel’s latest “The Seasons” installment steps off slightly from the beaten path with the first appearance of a vocalist to the project, namely Brazil’s Grammy award-winning Luciana Souza. The duet, reminiscent of an infernal machine, to borrow the term from Darcy James Argue, showcases the angelic and wholly (pun intended) vocals of Souza who skillfully alternates between … [Read more...]
The Seasons: May with Shai Maestro & Ben Wendel (Video)
Ben Wendel is back with his The Seasons Project once again this month: twelve duets in twelve months. May features pianist Shai Maestro which is pretty hot right now having just released his third album while also being featured on Mark Guiliana's Family First. Check out the video, filmed at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC, below and learn more about the piece from Wendel himself. If … [Read more...]
The Seasons: April with Eric Harland & Ben Wendel (Video)
Looks like another month has passed us by, meaning a new Ben Wendel duet has surfaced on YouTube. April features drummer extraordinaire Eric Harland on percussions in what amounts to be a highly syncopated gem of a solo by Wendel. Watch the video below and catch up on other months you may have missed. The Seasons: January with Taylor Eigsti & Ben Wendel The Seasons: … [Read more...]
The Seasons: March with Matt Brewer & Ben Wendel (Video)
Ben Wendel has dropped the third installment of his “The Seasons” project on us. March is a particularly stunning duet between Wendel on bassoon and Matt Brewer on bass. Check it out below the jump. Also if you missed January featuring Taylor Eigsti or February featuring Joshua Redman, we strongly suggest you go back and have a look. … [Read more...]