Canadian saxophonist Ben Wendel returns to our club with an innovative new ensemble. Following concerts with Kneebody and his sextet, as well as a featured performance with Kurt Rosenwinkel’s NEXT STEP in recent years, Wendel's latest line-up features four leading vibraphonists. This electroacoustic project showcases a distinctive and vibrant instrumentation, exploring the intersection of chamber, classical, and minimal music within the context of contemporary jazz. With some of the biggest names in contemporary percussion, this is set to be a boundary-pushing evening both on and off stage.

BaRcoDe brings together four of the most innovative voices in contemporary percussion. Joel Ross, a Blue Note recording artist, has redefined the vibraphone through acclaimed releases like KingMaker and The Parable of the Poet, and is widely regarded as one of his generation’s most expressive improvisers. Simon Moullier — praised by Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock, and known for his customized quarter-tone vibraphone — expands the instrument’s vocabulary with global idioms and electronics.

Patricia Brennan is celebrated for her exploratory solo work and collaborations with avant-garde leaders like Mary Halvorson and John Zorn, using extended techniques and real-time processing to reimagine the vibraphone’s role. Venezuelan-born Juan Diego Villalobos draws on Afro-Caribbean traditions and experimental electronics, bringing a folkloric yet futuristic energy to the ensemble’s sound.