JC Sanford

After spending 16 years in New York City as a professional musician, trombonist/composer JC Sanford returned to Minnesota in 2016. His most recent projects include New Past—a trio with pianist Michael Cain and bassist Anthony Cox—and his Imminent Standards Trio, which released recordings in 2021 and 2022. He has regularly been recognized as a “Rising Star” trombonist in DownBeat Critics Poll over the past several years, and he is the conductor of the thrice-Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble. JC has performed as a trombonist with the likes of Danilo Pérez, Matt Wilson, and George Schuller, and he has been an ensemble member in 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 received a 2018 McKnight Composer Fellowship and has received several Minnesota State Arts Board grants in recent years. He currently co-leads the modern jazz orchestra Inatnas Orchestra with his award-winning wife, composer Asuka Kakitani. His new project, EQ (Electric Quartet), features a more “plugged-in” approach that utilizes electronics over a mix of originals and standards.