Three of the members of Kneebody met at the Eastman College of Music. Adam Benjamin (keyboards), Shane Endsley (trumpet), and Ben Wendel (tenor sax) were students there in the late 90s. Wendel left to study at CalArts where he met drummer Nate Wood.
The four joined forces and began to perform at venues like Temple Bar and The Vic in Santa Monica. The quartet’s eponymous debut album a few years later, and they have been recording genre-bending jazz together ever since.
They have recorded three live albums, an EP, and seven studio albums, with the latest hitting in October this year, entitled Chapters. In its review, Jazz Times noted, “moving through disparate meters, genres, and modulations with well-oiled sophistication, Kneebody upends jazz convention, morphing funk, jazz, dance, electronic, chamber, and everything in between.” The group is currently touring around the States in support of the album.
What's My Name