Be part of a live recording at the Village Vanguard, NYC
Saxophonist Ben Wendel has announced his upcoming week at the legendary Village Vanguard, November 1-6, 2022 in NYC. Wendel will be recording a live album during the week for release in 2023, with a hand-picked quartet comprising Gerald Clayton on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums. Wendel and company will be playing new music along with tunes from many of his earlier albums, including Simple Song (2009), What We Bring (2016), and The Seasons (2018).
On his fourth time leading a band at the storied venue, Wendel said, “some of my favorite albums of all time come from the Village Vanguard. John Coltrane’s quartet, Joe Henderson with Ron Carter and Al Foster, Sonny Rollins, etc. I still have to pinch myself every time I get to play at this venue. When stepping on stage, I feel the history and spirits, the joy and creativity absorbed and collected in this space – it is truly a magical and potent place that pushes you to play your best. With that in mind, it is truly an honor and bucketlist moment to be able to join the continuum of this music and document an album at this historic venue. The quartet I’ve assembled is made up of dear friends I have had the pleasure of playing, touring, and recording with for many years. I plan on writing new material for the occasion, dusting off some older pieces of mine from earlier albums and finally arranging some standards that have often been played at the club over the years by masters such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and others.”