Ben Wendel - saxophones/bassoon/melodica, Adam Benjamin - Fender Rhodes, Tigran Hamasyan - piano, Nir Felder - guitar, Ben Street - bass, Nate Wood - drums
OCT 1, 2009 --MANHATTAN: I have to preface this review by admitting my bias: Kneebody is one of my favorite bands, and this band was 3/5 of Kneebody. That fact aside though, the music was not Kneebody in any way. For one thing, in all of Kneebody's compositions the band learns each part of each song by ear. Considering this fact, their music is incredibly complex but maintains a strong collective feel. Learning by ear would not have been at all possible with Wendel's composition "6" Suite if only because of the sheer length of it. Wendel takes advantage of having the written music though, composing with a staggering complexity. The six instruments interact with one another in a way that's mathematical yet organic.
You might think having three chordal instruments (plus the occasional melodica) would create problems, but the music was composed so that the timbres of the four instruments worked together to create a very orchestral sound. At times each played different roles as well: the guitar often playing rhythmic motifs and the rhodes frequently playing melodies or countermelodies. At no time did any instrument sound extraneous or chaotic.
The first movement was a sort of overture, incorporating material from all of the following movements. Each movement thereafter had a rhythmic motif, which became the constant heartbeat of that movement. The rhythms were mostly in odd meters but became natural and familiar through their repetition. The 5th movement functioned as a sort of ballad for the set, with the band swelling lyrically in rubato throughout.
Another great element of the composition was that it allowed each player to shine as an individual. Each person had at least one solo where they completely blew the audience away. Highlights included Adam Benjamin getting a seriously crunchy sound out of his rhodes via a Korg Kaoss pad, Wendel's flawlessly smooth saxophone runs on the final movement, and Hamasyan's refreshing use of thematic material from the piece. This was my first time hearing Hamasyan and had it not been for everyone's individual prowess, he would have stolen the show for me.
All in all, another great show at the Jazz Gallery.
