JC Sanford
Trombonist and composer JC Sanford, a protégé of legendary composer and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, has performed with the likes of Danilo Pérez, Matt Wilson, Donny McCaslin, and George Schuller and has regularly been recognized as a “Rising Star” trombonist, arranger, and big band in DownBeat Magazine’s Critic’s Polls over the past several years. He has been a member of several diverse NYC-based ensembles including the Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra, Nathan Parker Smith’s prog-rock big band, Andrew Green’s film noir tribute Narrow Margin, British singer-songwriter Joy Askew’s New York Brass, and Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.’s jazz/new music hybrid Numinous. He has appeared on over 30 recordings as a trombonist, conductor, composer, and producer. His 2014 debut CD with the JC Sanford Orchestra entitled Views from the Inside yielded international acclaim and was awarded a 2014 Aaron Copland Fund Recording Grant. He is also the leader of three small groups: the JC Sanford Quartet (who has two records out on Red Piano Records and Shifting Paradigm Records), the chamber jazz trio Triocracy (also Shifting Paradigm Records), and the Imminent Standards Trio. He is conductor of the thrice-Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, John Ellis’ jazz opera ICE SIREN, the Alan Ferber Nonet with Strings, and is musical director of the JazzMN Orchestra. Since returning to MN with his family in 2016, JC has performed around the Twin Cities area with JT and Chris Bates, Davu Seru, Anthony Cox, Babatunde Lea, Zacc Harris, and others.