FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT
KNEEBODY

February 22, 2016 | by Remy Le Boeuf

Kneebody

If you’re curious to know what to expect from Kneedelus (Kneebody + Daedelus), co-presented by Noise Pop and SFJAZZ this Wednesday, we’ve got just the artist to explain it to you. Saxophonist-composer, SFJAZZ High School All-Star alumnus Remy Le Boeuf (who we recently interviewed) has spent some time with the guys in Kneebody. In this guest post, Remy gives us five things to know about the acclaimed jazz fusion group, and their innovative collaboration with electronic artist Daedelus.

1. Kneebody is a 5-piece explosive jazz/rock/electric band that band formed in 2001, consisting of Adam Benjamin on keyboards, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Ben Wendel on tenor sax, Kaveh Rastegar on bass, and Nate Wood on drums. The band is co-led by all five members.
2. Kneebody draws on the vocabulary and production methods of genres such as indie-rock, fusion, and electronica, putting the familiar language of modern-day popular music in a creative high-energy improvisatory context.
3. Music gear geeks: if you see Kneebody perform, you'll more than likely see Adam Benjamin's rhodes keyboard covered with effects pedals. In fact, most of the band uses effects pedals including the horns.
4. Kneebody’s latest collaboration with electronica producer Daedelus is aptly described on Kneebody's website as "multi-headed beast straddling rock, jazz, and electronic music." Saxophonist Ben Wendel originally met Alfred Darlington (a.k.a. Daedelus) when they were in high school together; Daedelus has also worked with Flying Lotus, Prefuse 73, and Amon Tobin.
5. The group has invented some of its own unique musical practices and devices. The band rarely reads music when they perform and unlike other jazz groups, they have their own system of musical cues that signal when to move on to another section, change tempo, or modulate.