Kneebody, a Grammy-nominated ensemble, faced a significant transition with the departure of founding bassist Kaveh Rastegar, who shifted to a solo career. Rather than seeking a new bassist, the remaining members—Adam Benjamin, Shane Endsley, and Ben Wendel—promoted drummer Nate Wood to take on dual roles. This innovative adjustment led to a transformation in their writing style, producing a more streamlined sound in their recent album, 'Reach.' The band continues to tour and reconnect with audiences, emphasizing the fun and creativity of working as a quartet after a long pause due to disrupted routines.
"Wood doubling on bass was our default mode if Kaveh couldn't be there, but we never started writing new tunes from scratch as a quartet."
"When we're writing now we're definitely creating material that's less dense and less intricate, thinking about not overloading someone playing two instruments."
"Coming back together as a quartet, we all felt we can still do this, and it's been really fun to work it out with Nate."
"Kneebody reintroduces itself to the region with a series of gigs next week, starting Wednesday, May 21 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center."
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