Simple Song (album)
| Simple Song | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 24, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | June, 2007 | |||
| Studio | Castle Oaks Studio, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre |
| |||
| Length | 67:40 | |||
| Label | Sunnyside Records SSC 1216 | |||
| Producer | François Zalacain | |||
| Ben Wendel chronology | ||||
| ||||
Simple Song is a contemporary jazz album by saxophonist Ben Wendel, released on March 24, 2009. His debut as leader, it features a collection of neo-bop jazz compositions.[1]
Guest musicians on the album include pianists Tigran Hamasyan, Taylor Eigsti, and Adam Benjamin,[2] with guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz, and drummer Nate Wood.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz | [3] |
| AllMusic | [4] |
Michael Nastos of AllMusic wrote, "these are complex, intricate composed pieces requiring a good deal of rehearsal, and it sounds like they got them right for the recording session. With a combined sense of ease interacting and a great sense of teamwork, this band brings to life a set of heady compositions perfectly suited for the time period at the end of the 2000s."[4] Raul d'Gama Rose, writing for All About Jazz, described the album as "anything but simple in its approach to the idiom of jazz, [with] Wendel sweep[ing] across a sonic landscape with invention [...] thus [having] been able to create a tonal palette of seemingly epic proportions as he pushes his reeds on an endless, dancing journey."[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ben Wendel except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breath" | 4:43 | |
| 2. | "Simple Song" | 6:58 | |
| 3. | "Not Yet" | 5:53 | |
| 4. | "Chorale" | 1:30 | |
| 5. | "No Thank You Mr. West" | 7:07 | |
| 6. | "Lonnie's Lament" | John Coltrane | 8:45 |
| 7. | "Maupin" | 5:43 | |
| 8. | "Ralph" | 8:16 | |
| 9. | "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" | Billy Strayhorn | 5:47 |
| 10. | "Trust Fall" | 6:05 | |
| 11. | "She Never Had" | 6:53 | |
| Total length: | 67:40 | ||
Personnel
- Ben Wendel – tenor saxophone, bassoon, melodica
- Tigran Hamasyan (5, 6), Taylor Eigsti (1, 2, 7, 10) – piano
- Adam Benjamin – piano (3, 4, 8, 11), Rhodes piano
- Larry Koonse – guitar
- Darek Oleszkiewicz – bass
- Nate Wood – drums
Production
- Mike Aarvold – audio engineer / tracking
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering
- Steve Wood – mixing
- Kim Fox – photography
- Paul R. Rivera Design – layout design
- François Zalacain – executive producer
References
- ^ "Simple Song, by Ben Wendel". Bandcamp. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "Ben Wendel – Simple Song". Discogs. 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Rose, Raul d'Gama (April 8, 2009). "Ben Wendel: Simple Song". All About Jazz. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Nastos, Michael G. "Ben Wendel - Simple Song | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 5, 2023.