Podcast Summary: All Of It — Ben Wendel: 'All One' (Grammy Listening Party)

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Ben Wendel (saxophonist, bassoonist, composer)
Date: January 23, 2024
Context: A Grammy listening party episode featuring Ben Wendel, whose album All One was nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart invites saxophonist, bassoonist, and composer Ben Wendel to discuss his Grammy-nominated album All One. This intimate listening party explores the creative journey behind the album, delves into the logistics and artistry of making music in isolation during the pandemic, and features discussions of several tracks with stories about their collaborators. The episode highlights the challenges and joys of remote collaboration, the emotional landscape of creating during a global crisis, and Wendel's inventive use of overdubbing to create "little orchestras" for each song.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin and Inspiration of ‘All One’

• Early Musical Obsessions:
  Wendel shares that All One is the fruit of a childhood fascination with orchestras and woodwinds, recounting his love for the sensory experience of being "surrounded by woodwinds" (04:00).

  • Quote:
    “This was the fruition of a childhood obsession and dream...I just loved being surrounded by woodwinds. It felt very special to me.” — Ben Wendel (03:53)

• The Role of Overdubbing:
  The pandemic inspired him to use overdubbing, imagining, “what if I were to just create these little orchestras and go to that safe space that reminds me of being a kid?” (04:27)

2. Instrumental Journey: Saxophone and Bassoon

• How He Started:
  Wendel began with the saxophone, later picking up bassoon on a whim for a school orchestra tour, only later falling in love with its unique sound.
  • “I just did it because I wanted to go to Europe with my friends, and I had no idea that I agreed to learn this crazy medieval instrument. But then I really loved it.” — Ben Wendel (04:46)

3. The Process and Meaning of Collaboration

• Pandemic Collaborations:
  Wendel describes remote recording sessions while moving between cities (Hawaii, LA, Paris, Amsterdam) during COVID, which imbued each collaboration with deeper meaning.

  • “I never got to see anybody in person…we literally played a duet over the phone.” (06:18)
  • This process "fed my soul during that time." (07:02)

• Choosing Collaborators:
  Many were friends or admired musicians. He emphasizes minimal creative direction, preferring to react to what his collaborators brought to the table.

  • “The whole reason I do it is they are already such incredibly fully formed artists that I don't want to guide them too much.” — Ben Wendel (08:08)

  Notable Example:

  • I Loves You, Porgy with Cécile McLorin Salvant was shaped by her vocal interpretation, leading Wendel to adjust his own arrangements in response. (08:38)

4. The Art of Making ‘Little Orchestras’

• Technical Process:
  Using overdubbing, Wendel layered up to 30 takes of woodwinds, employing creative strategies (different rooms, microphones, performance styles) to avoid sonic sameness.
  • “I had to access different personalities within myself to give the sense that it was 30 different musicians... It's a bit of a magic trick.” — Ben Wendel (09:22)

5. Track Highlights and Featured Guests

a. I Loves You, Porgy (feat. Cécile McLorin Salvant) [02:10–03:32]

• A remote collaboration born of pandemic constraints and creative trust.

b. Throughout (feat. Bill Frisell, guitar) [10:33–11:07]

• Wendel explains the interplay of centuries-old bassoon with the modern saxophone, and how effects pedals add new texture.
• Quote:
  “It really is this weird combination of new and old. The bassoon, really, when I hear it, I feel like it's an ancient sound. And the saxophone...feels like the sound of the future.” — Ben Wendel (12:42)
• Alison remarks on Frisell’s “forward and bright” guitar presence (14:01).

c. Tenderly (feat. José James, vocals) [16:06–18:19]

• Recorded acapella, Wendel built an orchestra around James' unaccompanied take—a technical and creative experiment.
• The song has personal resonance: “That is the song he sang to his wife on their wedding. And so it was very, very precious to him.” — Ben Wendel (18:46)
• José heard the full track for the first time after Wendel completed the orchestration.

d. Wanderers (feat. Terence Blanchard, trumpet) [21:44–22:45]

• Wendel shares his admiration for Blanchard, who is both a friend and a hero, delighted to now share a stage with him in upcoming performances (22:54).

6. Reflecting on Creativity During the Pandemic

• Time Capsule Effect:
  Listening to the album now, Wendel reflects on the emotional complexities: “There is a feeling that runs through all of it, which was that feeling that was very hard to describe...a mixture of, yeah, joy and sadness and loneliness and a desire for connection.” (20:15)

7. Grammy Nomination Moment

• Wendel found out about his nomination by accident:
  “I started getting a lot of text notifications...Then at a certain point, a friend of mine...tried to call me and I said, hmm...I think maybe I just got nominated for a Grammy.” — Ben Wendel (23:22)

Notable Quotes

• “She’s just remarkable...I literally saw her in my mind’s eye and I knew she would be incredible on it.” — Ben Wendel on working with Cécile McLorin Salvant (07:27)
• “These are like my love letters to these guests.” — Ben Wendel (14:12)
• “Music is kind of timeless in the sense that when you have this old and new intersecting, then it’s sort of like time becomes irrelevant.” — Ben Wendel (12:42)
• “If anything, I had to learn new things...what I call the musician's path, which is just a path of learning.” — Ben Wendel (14:57)
• “It was very challenging. But...perfect example of something that I had literally never done before.” — Ben Wendel on recording "Tenderly" (18:32)

Key Timestamps

• [03:53] — Origins and inspiration for All One
• [06:18] — The significance and challenges of collaborating during COVID
• [08:08] — Working creatively with fully formed artists
• [09:22] — Overdubbing: making a “little orchestra” solo
• [10:33 – 11:07] — Introduction to “Throughout” and the use of effects pedals
• [12:42] — Interplay of bassoon and saxophone: “ancient” vs. “future”
• [16:06 – 18:19] — Story and performance: “Tenderly” with José James
• [20:15] — Reflecting on the emotional context of the album
• [21:44 – 22:45] — Performance of “Wanderers” featuring Terence Blanchard
• [23:22] — Wendel recounts his Grammy nomination moment

Memorable Moments

• Remote duets over the phone — A vivid picture of pandemic-era creativity, with Cecile McLorin Salvant in Brooklyn and Wendel in Maui, collaborating from afar (06:18).
• Inventing new processes out of necessity — Recording vocals first, then building an orchestra after, as with José James (17:34).
• Emotional candor — Wendel’s reflections on how, even now, “time-traveling” occurs when he hears the album, recalling the mix of isolation and connection that defined its creation (20:15).

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is warm, curious, and musical, balancing technical insight with heartfelt reflection. Both host and guest maintain an atmosphere of creative enthusiasm and mutual admiration, inviting listeners into the evolving process of making art under unusual circumstances.

This summary has captured the essential content and spirit of the episode, giving listeners an accessible yet thorough understanding of Ben Wendel’s All One and the conversation around it.