Musician Guides/Current Calendar Ranking

Verified Global Musician

Kenny Wollesen

Kenny Wollesen is a drummer, percussionist, vibraphonist, instrument builder, bandleader, and label founder whose work centers on collaborative invention.

DrumsPercussionVibraphoneInstrument builder1 current show
Saved only on this device

Photo source · Photo: Jan Prunk, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Career Overview

About Kenny Wollesen

The Boston Symphony Orchestra identifies Wollesen as a drummer, vibraphonist, and instrument builder active for more than three decades in New York’s downtown scene. Its biography documents recurring work with Bill Frisell, Sexmob, John Zorn, and a wide set of songwriters and improvisers.[1]

Wollesen’s artist site develops his handmade Wollesonic instruments into a record label and a network of ensembles. The catalog includes his duo BASU with David Binney, the double-vibraphone group Užupis, the large scramble band Himalayas, and many one-off studio constructions.[2][3][4]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Instrument builder, founder, percussionist, and producer

Wollesonic instruments and records

Wollesen builds one-of-a-kind percussion instruments and uses his artist-run label to document ensembles formed around their sounds.[1][2][3]

Drummer, percussionist, and vibraphonist

Bill Frisell, Sexmob, and John Zorn ensembles

The BSO biography identifies Wollesen as an integral member of Frisell’s trio, Sexmob, and multiple Zorn projects.[1]

Co-leader, drummer, vibraphonist, and instrument builder

Užupis and BASU

Wollesonic Records documents both the double-vibraphone Užupis and Wollesen’s studio duo with David Binney.[3][4]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

BASU

Co-leader, drummer, vibraphonist, percussionist, and synthesist

The duo recording with David Binney combines saxophones and keyboards with Wollesen’s drums, electric vibes, percussion, and handmade instruments.[3]

Release details

Dirt

Užupis co-leader and vibraphonist

The first Užupis album joins Wollesen with Dalius Naujo and Will Shore in a double-vibraphone ensemble.[3]

Release details

Shotgun Recordings

Himalayas drummer, composer, and ensemble member

The album collects compact sessions by the large Brooklyn scramble band and includes Wollesen’s Mother Earth’s Contra Dance.[3]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Wollesonic Records catalog

Hear Wollesen’s artist-run projects, handmade instruments, and collaborative releases in full.

Official Bandcamp

Stream and purchase releases issued through Wollesen’s own Wollesonic imprint.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Mon, Oct 19, 8:00 PM

Julian Lage Quartet

SFJAZZ Center · San Francisco

Show details

Evidence-Based Connections

Related Musician Guides

Connections below come from shared current Jazz DateBook bills or normalized documented performance roles—not subjective similarity.

Jorge RoederDouble bass · Composer1 shared current showJulian LageGuitar · Composer1 shared current showDana HallDrums · PercussionShared documented roles: Drummer · PercussionistFrancisco MelaDrums · PercussionShared documented roles: Drummer · PercussionistJeff BallardDrums · PercussionShared documented roles: Drummer · PercussionistJim DoxasDrums · PercussionShared documented roles: Drummer · Percussionist

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Institutional biography and ensemble history

    Boston Symphony Orchestra

  2. [2] Official instrument, project, and label site

    Kenny Wollesen

  3. [3] Artist-run album and track catalog

    Wollesonic Records

  4. [4] Official label streaming catalog

    Wollesonic Records