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JC Sanford
Trombonist/composer/conductor JC Sanford is a musician of rare breadth, deeply rooted in the traditions of Jazz and Classical music, yet constantly pushing at their boundaries. Equally at home in many roles, Sanford works regularly as a composer, performer, arranger and conductor.
As a trombonist, Mr. Sanford has performed with many of the jazz world's leading figures, such as Matt Wilson, Danilo Perez, and John McNeil. His improvisational trio Triocracy - with saxophonists Andy Laster and Chris Bacas - serves as an outlet for his unique compositions and improvisational concepts. As co-leader of My Band Foot Foot (along with John McNeil and Andrew Green), Sanford has helped breed a "mad science project" exploring and recreating music of The Shaggs. An interest in film has led to several projects, including recordings with Danilo Perez for the soundtrack of Hugo Pool - directed by Robert Downey.
JC Sanford's original works often defy labels such as 'Jazz' or 'Classical'. While he originally built a reputation through big band writing, Mr. Sanford has forayed into many other areas - composing for solo piano, wind and brass formations and various mixed chamber ensembles. A founding member of the composers' federation Pulse, JC was a member of the BMI Jazz Composers' Workshop led by Jim McNeely and Mike Abene for 5 years. His works have been performed by John Abercrombie, Lew Soloff, Dave Liebman, Danilo Perez, and a number of universities and high schools across the United States.
Founder and co-conductor of the Schumacher/Sanford Sound Assembly, whose CD "Edge of the Mind" was released in 2009 to high reviews, JC is in increasing demand as a conductor. He regularly conducts the Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, the Chris Jentsch Group Large, the Alan Ferber Nonet with Strings, and the Alice Coltrane Orchestra featuring Ravi Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette, and Charlie Haden. He now leads the JC Sanford Orchestra and is also curating the "Size Matters" large ensemble series at the Tea Lounge in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Currently on faculty at Long Island University and the Center for Preparatory Studies at Queens College, JC is the recipient of a D.M.A. in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory of Music. At NEC, he studied with Bob Brookmeyer and conducted the NEC Little Big Band. A Minnesota native, Sanford's undergraduate years were spent at the University of Northern Iowa where he was mentored by reputed jazz pedagogue Bob Washut.
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Dylan Hicks & Small Screens: Modern Flora
by Neil Duggan
In years gone by, record stores would sometimes categorise their albums by genre, so there would be sections on jazz, pop and singer-songwriter, etc. Modern Flora from Dylan Hicks & Small Screens is the sort of album that could cause the record store owner a problem, as the album would comfortably fit into all those categories. Even from a 2024 perspective, a 1970s-style singer-songwriter backed by a jazz nonet is not a natural fit in our genre-specific, box-ticking world.
Continue ReadingJC Sanford with Anthony Cox and Michael Cain: New Past
by Troy Dostert
Although he has shown himself to be adept in crafting big-band releases such as Views from the Inside (Whirlwind, 2014), trombonist JC Sanford usually works in a pared-down setting, such as his quartet release Keratoconus (Shifting Paradigm, 2019) or, more recently, the two volumes of his trio-based Imminent Standards (Shifting Paradigm, 2021 and 2022). Here he continues this trend, joining with two veterans, pianist Michael Cain and bassist Anthony Cox, for a mix of Sanford's own compositions and a couple ...
Continue ReadingJC Sanford: Imminent Standards Trio Vol. 1
by Jack Bowers
Trombone-led trios are few and far between, but Minnesota-based JC Sanford, a protégé of the late great Bob Brookmeyer, gives it a go with bassist Jeff Bailey and drummer Phil Hey on Imminent Standards Trio Vol. 1, whose title does not derive from imminent, as in “soon-to-be," but as in “Imminent Brewing," the trio's monthly performing space in Northfield, MN. As for the album's groove, the trio has chosen relaxed, and glides easily through a program comprising ...
Continue ReadingQuinsin Nachoff: Pivotal Arc
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Canadian saxophonist and composer Quinsin Nachoff's newest outing out on Whirlwind Recordings once again proves what was established long before: that nothing about his approach to jazz is common. As a matter of fact, if his name weren't almost exclusively mentioned in jazz publications, jazz wouldn't necessarily be the first thing that came to mind when confronted with his music. A fact that appears even more valid with regard to his new effort, Pivotal Arc. Opening with a ...
Continue ReadingJC Sanford Quartet: Keratoconus
by Alberto Bazzurro
Il trombonista JC Sanford, protégé del grande Bob Brookmeyer, dirige in questo lavoro un quartetto di solida conformazione che ha la sua base nel Minnesota. L'incisione risale al febbraio 2019 e include tutti temi dello stesso Sanford, tranne ovviamente l'iperstandard “All the Things You Are." Si parte col breve, funkeggiante brano che intitola il CD, per proseguire col ben più ampio “Umm, Yeah!," felicemente calibrato. Qualche fase di persino eccessiva leggerezza-disinvoltura attraversa il successivo “Bates Brothers Boy ...
Continue ReadingAndrew Rathbun: Atwood Suites
by Angelo Leonardi
Sassofonista e orchestratore canadese, Andrew Rathbun ha 47 anni e una ricca carriera alle spalle, svolta negli Stati Uniti con studi al New England Conservatory sotto la guida di Ran Blake e dal 1997 professionalmente a New York in vari contesti. A partire dal debutto del 1999 con Scatter Some Stones, ha inciso alcuni dischi da leader, il più noto dei quali è Sculpture (Fresh Sound 2002) inciso in quintetto col suo mentore Kenny Wheeler. Con quest'ultimo Rathbun ha collaborato ...
Continue ReadingJC Sanford Quartet: Keratoconus
by Friedrich Kunzmann
A bubbling ostinato on trombone to the right. Treble register double-bass lines join in the middle. Muffled electric-guitar riffs imitate the same to the left--the guitar's dry tone seemingly hailing straight from a rustic 1960s Telecaster. Drums start banging ahead relentlessly; not in a constant motion though--they stop and go and stop and go, unsure whether what they're doing is allowed or not. They all decide it's fine, let's go ahead with it. This is rock and roll. It's rudimentary ...
Continue Reading"Jazz Notes" by Sanford Josephson
Source:
Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
The 197 pages of Sanford Josephson's Jazz Notes: Interviews Across the Generations (Praeger) go quickly when you are reading. Admittedly it is a short book. It consists of twenty principal interviews conducted years ago by the author, then supplementary follow-up interviews of artists who either played with the person originally interviewed, or who are admirers of that person. So we have for example an interview with Duke sideman Norris Turney, then supplementary interviews with Art Baron, Joe Temperley, Virginia Mayhew, ...
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Channel Classics to Release Meridian Art Ensemble's "Brink" CD Featuring Works by Elliott Sharp, David Sanford & Nick Didkovsky
Source:
All About Jazz
Noted for its arrangements and recordings (with the composer's approval) of Frank Zappa's material, the Meridian Arts Ensemble approaches its eighth CD Brink (Channel Classics) with commissioned concert-length works from cutting edge composers Elliott Sharp, David Sanford and Nick Didkovsky.
The Meridian Arts Ensemble notes, “whereas we arranged rock or jazz tunes on previous recordings, this time we went directly to the composers who create this kind of music for complete pieces, rather than short tunes. These pieces draw on ...
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—Marc Medwin, Dusted Reviews on John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble recording "Eternal Interlude"
"Co-led by composers David Schumacher and JC Sanford, this dynamic 17- piece jazz orchestra delivers heady, modernist fare ranging from the dissonant, surging 'Breaking Point' to the majestic sweep of 'Edge of the Window,' the sly, Thad Jones-inspired 'Chuck 'n' Jinx,' the formidable 'Rhythm of the Mind' and the gentle, rubato ballad 'Ives, Eyes.'
—Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes on Sound Assembly's "Edge of the Mind"
Photos
Music
Sparrows are Badasses
From: New PastBy JC Sanford
Lonely Woman
From: Imminent Standards Trio, Vol. 2By JC Sanford
Single Petal of a Rose
From: Imminent Standards Trio Vol. 1By JC Sanford
Manic
From: Pyramid SchemeBy JC Sanford
Two Islands III
From: Atwood SuitesBy JC Sanford
Your Word Alone
From: Views from the InsideBy JC Sanford
