BaRcoDe (album)
| BaRcoDe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 13, 2026 | |||
| Recorded | January 16 & 17, 2025 | |||
| Studio | The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NYC | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 41:38 | |||
| Label | Edition EDN 1294 LP/CD | |||
| Ben Wendel chronology | ||||
| ||||
BaRcoDe is a studio album by Canadian saxophonist Ben Wendel, recorded on January 16 & 17, 2025, and released by Edition Records on March 13, 2026.[1] It features Wendel in an ensemble with four vibraphonists and percussionists: Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan, and Juan Diego Villalobos.[2] The album is named for the quintet, BaRcoDe, which developed during residencies the musicians had at The Jazz Gallery, in New York City, in 2023 and 2025.[3] It features aspects of chamber music, modern jazz, and electronic experimentation.[4]
Reception
Modern Jazz Today noted, "BaRcoDe often favors linear development over sectional contrast. [...] Rather than returning to familiar landmarks, the music moves steadily forward, with improvisation embedded into the ensemble fabric, [...] shaped by momentum, contour, and collective precision rather than overt display."[5]
PostGenre called it "a blend of sound, in an approach perhaps never heard on record before. [...] Wendel does what he does best: produce a truly unique piece of music."[6]
Presto Music's review stated, "BaRcoDe stands as a singular work. The soundscape created by the mallet‑driven group provides a spacious yet firm foundation for Wendel's pliant, probing saxophone. [...] [It] gestures towards an evolving blueprint, one showing how acoustic improvisers might thrive within a technologically saturated landscape while maintaining a delicate balance between emotional depth and cerebral design."[7]
UK Jazz News wrote, "Wendel is on tenor throughout, and makes full use of the contrast with his chosen accompanists. [...] [It is] a very refreshing album, then, making great use of the talents of all involved, and an object lesson in thoughtful use of decidedly non-routine resources to create music that is distinctive and often has great beauty."[8]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ben Wendel except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Clouds" | 6:51 | |
| 2. | "Mimo" | 6:35 | |
| 3. | "Olha Maria" | Antônio Carlos Jobim | 10:29 |
| 4. | "Repeat After Me" | 4:38 | |
| 5. | "Birds Ascend" | 3:40 | |
| 6. | "Lonely One" | 9:25 | |
| Total length: | 41:38 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Floating" |
Personnel
Musicians
- Ben Wendel – tenor saxophone, effects pedals
- Joel Ross – vibraphone, marimba
- Simon Moullier – vibraphone, chromatic balafon, electronic effects
- Patricia Brennan – vibraphone, electronic effects
- Juan Diego Villalobos – vibraphone, electric marimba (mallet station), percussion, electronic effects
Technical
- Alex Conroy – recording engineer (The Bunker Studios, Brooklyn, NYC)[4]
- Steve Wood – mixing (Benaji Studios, Laguna Beach, California)[4]
- Nate Wood – mastering (Kerseboom Mastering, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NYC)[4]
References
- ^ "BaRcoDe by Ben Wendel". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "BaRcoDe – Ben Wendel | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "NEW RELEASE: Ben Wendel's 'BaRcoDe' (ft. Joel Ross, Simon Moullier, Patricia Brennan, & Juan Diego Villalobos) is out March 13, 2026 via Edition Records". Lydia Liebman Promotions. New York, NY. January 14, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "BaRcoDe". Edition Records. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ Williams, Jeff. "BaRcoDe, Ben Wendel". Modern Jazz Today. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ Hynes, Jim (March 8, 2026). "Review: Ben Wendel's 'BaRcoDe'". PostGenre. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ "Ben Wendel – BaRcoDe". Presto Music. March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
- ^ Turney, Jon (March 12, 2026). "Ben Wendel – 'BarCoDe'". UK Jazz News. Retrieved March 14, 2026.