JC Sanford's EQ (Electric Quartet)

Wed, Mar 25

6pm Doors 8pm Showtime Full food and beverage available for this show. Seating first comes, first serve. 21+ $15 Adv (+fees/taxes) $22 Doors (+fees/taxes) JC Sanford's EQ will make their first appearance at Icehouse following their recent album release on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, DENKI. This "plugged-in" quartet explores various sonic landscapes through Sanford's originals, cover tunes, and open improvisation. https://jcsanford.bandcamp.com/album/denki JC Sanford - trombone/effects Toivo Hannigan - electric guitar/effects Erik Fratzke - electric bass Ben Ehrlich - drum set "With DENKI, Sanford and his EQ band deliver a bold and electrified album that challenges genre boundaries while honoring deep musical traditions. It's a record that captures an artist unafraid to evolve, explore, and plug directly into the currents of inspiration." --JazzChill "[T]he feel of the compositions encompasses striations of fusion, though skewing towards the weird with the transmogrified trombone and none of the typical hyper-technicality infecting the genre." --Andrey Henkin, JazzTimes JC Sanford has appeared on over 30 recordings as a trombonist, conductor, composer, and producer. He has regularly been recognized as a “Rising Star” trombonist in DownBeat Magazine’s Critic’s Polls over the past several years and has performed with the likes of Danilo Pérez, Matt Wilson, and Anthony Cox. His original compositions and arrangements have been performed by such diverse artists as John Abercrombie, Dave Liebman, Danilo Perez, Gretchen Parlato, the Swedish Wind Ensemble, Japanese koto-player Yumi Kurosawa, British singer-songwriter Joy Askew, and Grammy-nominated classical pianist Andrew Russo. In addition to his own orchestra, JC also conducts the thrice-Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, and has conducted the Alice Coltrane Orchestra, the North German Radio Jazz Big Band (NDR), the Alan Ferber Nonet with Strings, and John Ellis’ ICE SIREN. Since returning to his home state of MN from New York City in 2016, he was awarded a 2018 McKnight Composer Fellowship, has received several grants from the MN State Arts Board to record his various groups, founded the Northfield Jazz Festival, and co-founded the Twin Cities Jazz Composers’ Workshop with wife and fellow composer Asuka Kakitani. Toivo Hannigan is a guitarist, composer and producer born and raised in the twin cities. After Graduating From Berklee in August 2020, Toivo moved back to the twin cities and has since furthered his career as a freelance musician. Toivo regularly performs with bands/artists including, but not limited to Jake Baldwin, JT Bates, Bryan and the Haggards, and Larry Wish. Erik Fratzke is a composer/performer/educator based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Best known for his work as the bassist of Happy Apple, he also leads his own quartet, Fake Accent. He is also a member of Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic, and Cory Healey’s Beautiful Sunshine Band. As a guitarist, Erik is a member of The Dave King Trucking Company, the avant-metal group Abhorrent Expanse, Scott Miller’s Fifth Column Ensemble, The Gang Font feat. Greg Norton, as well as the leader of the instrumental rock group Zebulon Pike. His compositions have been performed and recorded by the new music group Zeitgeist. Erik has performed/recorded with Tim Berne, Ethan Iverson, Adam Levy, Michel Portal, Rhys Chatham, Airto, Benoit Delbec, and Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins). Ben Ehrlich is a drummer, educator and composer based in Minneapolis, MN. After studying with Ed Soph and graduating from the University of North Texas in 2018, Ben moved back to his home state and quickly became one of the top call drummers in the Twin Cities jazz scene, as well as a nationally touring artist. Recognized for his versatility, Ben has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Diane Schuur, Jens Lindemann, Davina and the Vagabonds, Javier Santiago, the JazzMN Orchestra, Leslie Vincent, and many others, including jazz, rock, and indie artists from around the country.