Kneebody
Interview
At the 2025 edition of Cologne Jazzweek, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ben Wendel, Adam Benjamin, Shane Endsley and Nate Wood, four of the creative forces behind Kneebody, one of the most distinctive and enduring ensembles in contemporary jazz. More than two decades after the band’s inception, the group continues to redefine its own musical language through trust, curiosity and an uncompromising commitment to collective creation.
In this conversation, they reflect on the evolution of their compositional process, the unique dynamics of a leaderless band, and the delicate balance between carefully crafted structures and spontaneous invention. They also discuss the making of their latest record, the role of improvisation as a compositional tool, Nate Wood’s extraordinary approach to performing bass and drums simultaneously, and the artistic philosophy that has kept Kneebody together for over twenty years.
Far from looking back nostalgically, the members of Kneebody speak with the enthusiasm of musicians who still see every performance as an opportunity to discover something new. For them, longevity is not about preserving a formula but about remaining relentlessly curious—a mindset they admire in artists such as Bill Frisell and one that continues to shape their music today. Their reflections reveal a band that has evolved into something more than an ensemble: a creative laboratory where friendship, mutual trust and constant reinvention coexist in equal measure.
Podcast here!!!
