$10 cover

9pm showtime

Bryan Nichols:

Bryan Nichols is a Minneapolis-based pianist and composer, working primarily in jazz and improvised music. He returned to the Twin Cities in 2005 after four busy years in Chicago where he played with jazz heavyweights like Nicole Mitchell, Ernest Dawkins, Von Freeman and Hamid Drake. Since returning to Minneapolis, he leads and composes for his own trio, his quintet and his large group, We Are Many.  He also plays regularly with Gang Font, Kelly Rossum Quartet, James Buckley Trio, and Zacc Harris Quartet, in addition to being an in-demand freelancer. He teaches jazz piano at MacPhail Center for Music and University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, and he was also recently named artistic director of Jazz is NOW!, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit supporting regional music and composers. 

Bryan was awarded a 2010-11 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians, a prestigious and competitive award given to Minnesota musicians. He was also awarded a 2004 residency by Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program at the Kennedy Center, given to outstanding, emerging jazz performer/composers. His work as a composer earned him a subito grant from the American Composers Forum.  He has performed at most music venues in the Twin Cities and Chicago, in addition to international festivals including Sons d’Hiver (Paris, France) and Kerava Jazz Festival (Kerava, Finland) as well as local and regional festivals including the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Minnesota Sur Seine Festival. Bryan appears on recent recordings by James Buckley, Gang Font, Chris Morrissey, Gordon Johnson, Kelly Rossum, Todd Clouser, Gayngs and many more. In May 2011 Bryan released his debut recording as a leader, Bright Places, containing nine original compositions for his quintet.

Dave King:

Born 1970 Minneapolis MN
Studied piano and drums as a young person. Played in some amazing grade school, jr high school and high school bands and ensembles..............seriously ground breaking in approach and chart selection including a big band version of "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A" by John Mellancamp (formally known as John Cougar and John Cougar-Mellancamp).
Moved out east for a moment in 1989 when NYC still had barrel fires burning in lots that now house the American Apparel flagship store next to a place you can get a $7.00 espresso.
Moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to warm up a bit.
Was a couple of miles from the epicenter of the 1994 L.A. earthquake.
Decided that wasn't the place for me.
Moved back to Minneapolis.
Co founded Happy Apple.
Co founded Love-Cars.
Co founded Halloween, Alaska.
Joined 12Rods.
In 2000 co founded The Bad Plus in NYC.
Co founded The Gang Font featuring Greg Norton of punk icons Husker Du.
Have Performed music in 75 countries and 6 continents.
Have appeared on over 50 recordings.
Besides my working groups I have recorded and or performed with Bill Frisell, Joshua Redman, Dewey Redman, Jeff Beck, Tim Berne, Hank Roberts, Chris Speed, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Django Bates, Dead Prez, The Coup, Joe Lovano, Bill Carrothers, Anthony Cox, Chris Morrissey, Mason Jennings, Haley Bonar, Meat Beat Manifesto, Craig Taborn, Matt Mitchell, Matt Maneri, Benoit Delbeq, Craig Green, Jason Moran, Tchad Blake, David Torn, Donna Lewis, Atmosphere, and a few more great people.
I have also worked extensively with The Mark Morris Dance Group and with acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi on his fashion week music and TV show music.
I have also recorded and composed for film including two films for animated film maker Tom Shroeder and 6 seconds of one of my drum beats is in the film "The Hot Chick" starring SNL icon Rob Schneider, believe it or not

Kurt Schweitz:

Kurt Schweitz has been playing various musical instruments since age 4 but didn’t begin to consider a career in music until moving to Chicago to pursue a PhD in Mathematics at the University of Chicago.  Kurt has performed internationally on stages in London, Paris,at the Aberdeen Jazz Festival in Scotland, La Mercé Festival in Barcelona, and at the Booey Lehoo Arts Festival in Beijing.  Back home, his schedule has included performances at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millenium Park, the Chicago Jazz Festival, South Shore Cultural Festival, Meet the Composer, Chicago Humanities Festival, Asian-American Jazz Festival, Milwaukee Jazz in the Park Festival.  Kurt has played over 3,000 club and event dates in Chicago and elsewhere, has performed with local orchestras like the Rockford Symphony, and appears on dozens of local jazz and pop/rock recordings.  In addition to bass, he occasionally performs on piano, cello, viola, and through live programmed sounds.

As a composer, Kurt’s work is regularly commissioned for dance, theatre, and film.  He received Individual Artist grants from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2015 and 2009, as well as a 2011 Individual Artist grant from the Illinois Arts Council for his original work.  As a regularly performer in jazz, rock, and classical music, Kurt’s music uses these influences to contemporaneously unfold the deep roots of these musical genres into a cohesive whole.

As an actor, Kurt had a recurring co-star role on season 4 of Empire (Fox), as the character “Ron”.  He is represented by Big Mouth Talent, Inc.