Saxophonist Ben Wendel (1976) grew up in Los Angeles and now lives in Brooklyn. During his career, he has taken on the roles of soloist, composer, producer, and conductor. In addition, he has toured with artists like Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Eric Harland, Snoop Dogg, and Prince. Wendel is the founder and a member of the popular group Kneebody which has a Grammy nomination to its name, and he has released albums on labels like Concord and Sunnyside Records. His latest CD is What We Bring. In 2015 Wendel began The Seasons project: a video series of twelve original pieces played with twelve renowned musicians including Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Aaron Parks. Moreover, he produced the Grammy-nominated album Life Forum for pianist Gerald Clayton. Today, Wendel also teaches in New York and has given hundreds of master classes. In 2011 he conducted a re-creation of the legendary Charlie Parker album Bird With Strings.
