Ben Wendel

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard

 Edition

Some folks, maybe only a few, may think that Canadian-born saxophonist/composer Ben Wendel is a bit too eclectic to be considered a ‘real deal’ contemporary jazz artist. Wendel has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Moonchild, and Prince among others but has also worked with numerous jazz greats as a leader and sideman. Wendel received a Grammy nomination as a founding member of the genre busting group Kneebody and as a leader for his previous release, the orchestral All One. Rest assured that he dispenses with any questions about his ability to lead a genuine jazz quartet with Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard. Performing at the hallowed shrine, Wendel enlists a top shelf rhythm section comprised of pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Obed Calvaire. That’s as legitimate as it gets but they, like Wendel, are risk takers too. The result is a dynamic jazz album with interesting flairs owing to Wendel’s compositions and use of pedals on his saxophone. There’s over an hour of music in these seven compositions, all originals save “On the Trail.” Some were composed specifically for this date.

The opening “Lu” with its complex rhythms immediately sets the stage for challenging fare. Wendel begins alone with a broken arpeggio, reveling in its staccato. This is both a nod to the history in those walls and to highlight the storied, warm acoustics of the venue. Clayton follows with a solo that moves in several directions, notes seemingly ricocheting off each other to the sturdy undercurrent of Oh and Calvaire. When the saxophonist rejoins the band, he delivers a series of energetic, fluid clusters, a gigantic rush of sound, that eases with Oh’s solo as the band regathers, steering it to a steady, whispering close. Wendel comments, “Stepping onto that stage felt like a warm embrace from the spirits of this music.” 

The angular “Proof” is a contrafact of Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence,” a piece that brilliantly showcases the individual strengths of Wendel’s supporting cast, given the freedom to stretch out and improvise around the theme. The barbed line trading between Wendel and Clayton is especially feisty and exciting. Calvaire stirs it up and the quartet brings this one to explosive finale. Wendel continues to honor tradition a faithful, lyrical rendition of  “On the Trail,” famously recorded by Jimmy Heath and Wynton Kelly. As such, we hear the more delicate side of Clayton’s pianism as well. In the second half of the piece Wendel launches into a spirited, improvised flight before restating the theme and taking it out quietly. Original “Scosh” is an inventive piece full of animated turns from each, with Clayton given a free rein on his lengthy intro, revealing Wendel’s use of effects on his horn and Oh’s trademark earthy bass.  There’s plenty of tension and a tendency to push the envelope as one would expect from Wendel in these first four tracks.

Then, the mood changes drastically to one of intense contemplation on the intimate “Jean and Renata” infused with terrific plucking from Oh and sensitive support from Clayton and Calvaire with Wendel’s loops and echo effects on the sax, adding the progressive touches to this otherwise straightforward ballad. The enthusiastic audience response to his solo, as well as other responses peppered through the program add to the “live,” spontaneous feel of the set. The quartet breaks out again in the mid-tempo  intricate rhythm packed “I Saw You Say” featuring one of the leader’s most expressive solos. The quartet surprises by closing pensively rather than explosively on “Tao,” one that depicts best the focused collaborative spirit between these four.

Given Wendel’s most recent output, this is by far his most jazz-centric effort, infused with just enough unexpected turns to keep us fully engaged. The overwhelming audience response at the end confirms such.

– Jim Hynes.

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