Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard

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Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard
Understory Live at the Village Vanguard Album Cover.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedOctober 4, 2024
RecordedNovember 4-6, 2022
Venue Village Vanguard
Genre Neo-bop
Label Edition Records
Producer Ben Wendel
Ben Wendel chronology
All One
(2023)
Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard
(2024)

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard is a live album by saxophonist Ben Wendel, featuring pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist and vocalist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Obed Calvaire, released on October 4, 2024. It was recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City, a historically significant venue in jazz. The album documents a live performance showcasing the quartet's collaborative approach and musical interaction. [1] Wendel described the recording as "something that really acknowledges the history of the room". [2] This album is Ben Wendel’s first live album, following his studio release All One .

Contents

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ben Wendel.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lu" 10:25
2."Proof" 11:01
3."On the Trail"Ferde Grofe9:56
4."Scosh" 10:26
5."Jean & Renata" 7:54
6."I Saw You Say" 8:00
7."Tao" 8:18
8."Song Song (Only Available on Vinyl)" 7:26
Total length:72:06

Reception

Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard received a rating of 5 out of 5 stars by AllMusic. [3] Mike Hobart of the Financial Times praised it at release, stating the ensemble's "playing is inspired". [4]

Personnel

Musicians

Technical personnel

References

  1. "Ben Wendel | Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard". Edition Records. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  2. Enos, Morgan (2024-11-04). "Mondays with Morgan: Ben Wendel". UK Jazz News. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
  3. Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard - Ben... | AllMusic , retrieved 2025-07-21
  4. Hobart, Mike (2024-10-10). "Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard album review — twisty quartet jazz". Financial Times . Retrieved September 2, 2025.