Gregg Bendian

The music of percussionist, composer, and bandleader Gregg Bendian reflects his diverse interests in free jazz, contemporary classical music, and even progressive rock. One of Bendian's first major areas of interest was the music of Varese and Webern, which he investigated during his advanced studies at William Paterson College while still a high school student in New Jersey. Early on, Bendian also familiarized himself with the avant-garde jazz explorations of Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, and Ornette Coleman, and he vowed to someday work with Taylor. In pursuit of this goal,...