Kneebody (USA) • Jazzkaar 2026
After nearly two decades of boundary-pushing collaboration, the acclaimed quartet Kneebody makes its long-awaited Jazzkaar debut with their vibrant new album Reach – promising an evening where rhythm and virtuosic improvisation merge into an electrifying experience. Featuring saxophonist Ben Wendel (who has previously appeared at Jazzkaar with his own trio), keyboardist Adam Benjamin, trumpeter Shane Endsley, and drummer Nate Wood, Kneebody delivers instrumental music infused with the spirit of jazz, rock, and hip-hop. Their compositions, driven by deep, pulsing grooves, exude a laid-back bohemian energy that’s impossible to resist.
The story of Kneebody began when Wendel, Benjamin, and Endsley first met at the Eastman School of Music and CalArts, forging deep musical connections that would evolve into the band’s distinctive voice. Formed in 2001 amid the vibrant Los Angeles music scene, Kneebody has since earned widespread critical acclaim and cultivated a devoted international following. Ever the innovators, the group’s music resists easy classification – weaving together influences from 1960s free-bop, 1970s jazz-rock, 1990s hip-hop, and the indie rock of the new millennium, all infused with a refined post-minimalist sensibility. In 2009, the ensemble received a Grammy nomination for its collaboration with vocalist Theo Bleckmann on the album Twelve Songs By Charles Ives.
Brimming with musical energy, precision, and fearless spontaneity, Kneebody’s concert at Jazzkaar promises to be an electrifying experience.
Line-up:
Ben Wendel – saxophone
Adam Benjamin – keyboards
Shane Endsley – trumpet
Nate Wood – drums
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