JC Sanford's NEW PAST Trio will perform music from their new recording on Shifting Paradigm Records, featuring Sanford on trombone/electronics, Kavyesh Kaviraj on piano, and Anthony Cox on bass, plus special guest JT Bates on drums. (Suggested donation: $15 general / $5 students)
"Intrigue grows in the respected spaces and inventive twists of the music." --DownBeat Magazine
"Strong themes are present, but they never get in the way of the rich conversations which emerge as the three musicians sound each other out and respond both empathetically and intuitively." --All About Jazz
Bios:
After spending 16 years in New York City as a professional musician, trombonist/composer JC Sanford returned to his hometown of Northfield, MN in 2016. His most recent projects include a trio with pianist Michael Cain and bassist Anthony Cox called New Past and his Imminent Standards Trio which released consecutive recordings in 2021 and 2022. He has regularly been recognized as a “Rising Star” trombonist in DownBeat Magazine’s Critic’s Polls over the past several years. He has performed as a trombonist with the likes of Danilo Pérez, Matt Wilson, and George Schuller, and been an ensemble member in wide-ranging groups such as Nathan Parker Smith’s prog-rock big band, Andrew Green’s film noir tribute Narrow Margin, singer-songwriter Joy Askew’s New York Brass, and Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.’s jazz/new music hybrid Numinous. He recently received a 2018 McKnight Composer Fellowship and received several MN State Arts Board grants.
Bassist Anthony Cox’s career has spanned over 30 years encompassing music education, composition, and performance that include an extensive list of collaborations, performances, and recordings with notable artists in the field of jazz. Including Sam Rivers, Joe Lovano, Geri Allen, Kenny Wheeler, Ed Blackwell, Billy Higgins, John Scofield, The NDR Big Band, Dino Saluzzi, and Henry Threadgill.
Drummer JT Bates has long been a staple of the Twin Cities music scene and well beyond. In 2015 he produced and released his first solo album, “Open Relationships” (Totally Gross National Product)and in 2021 “Not Other Stuff”. Since then he has co-produced with Pieta Brown, David Huckfelt, St. Anthony Mann, and Michael Rossetto. As a session drummer JT has appeared on Grammy record of the year “Folklore” (Taylor Swift) as well as the follow up “Evermore”. Grammy nominated “s/t”(Bonny Light Horseman) as well as critically acclaimed records by Bon Iver, Big Red Machine, Cassandra Jenkins, The National, Maya Hawke, Ed Sheeran, and many others.
Kavyesh Kaviraj is a pianist, composer and arranger from India. Although primarily a jazz pianist, he is known for his versatility as a musician, thanks to his experience in different musical climates he is closely involved with settings of many different genres and styles. A member of the jazz quintet Mississippi, he has performed with national and international artists from many different genres, including Wynton Marsalis, David Sanchez, Roosevelt Collier, Jay Young and the Lyric Factory, Justin Robinson, Yolande Bruce, Debbie Duncan, Bruce Henry, Nooky Jones, Kevin Washington Quintet, Jamecia Bennett, I Self Devine, Lady Midnight, Desdamona, Toki Wright and several others.
JC Sanford is a fiscal year 2023 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.