$12 ADVANCE // $15 DAY OF SHOW
6PM DOORS // 8PM SHOWTIME
What’s that Sound? is the first edition of a Twin Cities music series co-curated by Ivan and Chris Cunningham. It is a multi-generational, multi-genre musical feast provided by some of our community’s most fearless, accomplished, and non-traditional improvisers, composers, and musicians. Icehouse has been the most progressive and important area music venue for many years— and players, listeners, eaters, and revelers all know why. Come listen.
1st Set:
THE CREATURES OF PROMETHEUS
Ivan Cunningham: saxes
Chris Cunningham: guitars and keyboards
JC Sandford: trombone
Alma Engebretson: bass
Alec Tonjes: drums
2nd Set:
HERBACEOUS
Michelle Kinney: cello and electronics
Brandon Wozniak: sax and electronics
Joe Strachan: keyboards
CHRIS & IVAN CUNNINGHAM are our Monday Night Jazz Residents and Guest Curators for the month of November!
Over a career stretching all the way from the Pleistocene era, Chris Cunningham has collaborated on stages and in studios with Marianne Faithfull, The Contortions, John Lurie, Jeff Buckley, Haiti’s Boukman Eksperyans, Turkey’s Omar Farouk, Ireland’s Katell Keineg and Gavin Friday, Anton Fier, John Zorn, Marshall Crenshaw, Joan Osborne, John Medeski, Richie Havens, and many others. He has released two critically acclaimed solo albums, and his Twin Cities groups include Superbus Maximus (currently), Fall of the House of Usher, Mississippi Peace, Coloring Time, Improvestra, Improvised Explosive Device, to name just a few. His main repository of recorded musical content is at fothou.com, and he dutifully serves the people as a professor and confessor of Sound Arts at Minneapolis College.
Ivan Cunningham is Minneapolis based composer, performer, and band-leader. Ivan performs with Mr Zipp, Freaque, the Charlie Lincoln Quartet, and Superbus Maximus. Ivan leads the Ivan Cunningham Quintet, and will soon be releasing and album of his own compositions featuring musicians from many different corners of the Twin Cities music scene. You may find him in a corner himself, sulking, waiting for something to happen. Usually nothing does, but he waits anyway. Time is running out, however.
JC Sanford is a wide-ranging musician, deeply rooted in the traditions of Jazz and Classical music, yet constantly pushing at their boundaries. A protégé of legendary composer and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, he has appeared on over 30 recordings as a trombonist, conductor, composer, and producer. 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, British singer-songwriter Joy Askew’s New York Brass, and Joseph C. Phillips, Jr.’s jazz/new music hybrid Numinous. His original compositions and arrangements have been performed by John Abercrombie, Lew Soloff, Dave Liebman, and Danilo Perez. JC also conducts the thrice-Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, and has conducted the Alice Coltrane Orchestra, the North German Radio Jazz Big Band, the Alan Ferber Nonet with Strings, and the JazzMN Orchestra. Since returning to his home state of MN in 2016, he has performed with Davu Seru, Anthony Cox, Douglas Ewart, Michelle Kinney, and others. He also received a 2018 McKnight Composer Fellowship, a 2019 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, and 2021 and 2022 Creative Support Grants to fund his new recordings “Imminent Standards Trio, Vol. 1.” and "Vol. 2."
Alma Engebretson is a Minneapolis-based cellist, bassist, guitarist, and composer. Alma has been involved in several projects coming out of the pandemic including forming a new rock group, Mr. Zipp, playing cello in Superbus Maximus, playing cello in Open Eye Theatre’s Once Upon a Winter’s Night, and playing cello in the annual Morricone tribute show at Jazz Central Studios. Alma’s longer-haul projects include fronting rock band Mr. Zipp, playing guitar in D’Lakes, and being one of the five members of twin cities based jazz group, SPACE, who have performed and recorded in the Twin Cities for the past five years. Alma has also played cello in Curtiss A’s annual John Lennon tribute show for the past eight years. In 2020, Alma earned their Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance from the University of Denver. In their spare time, Alma enjoys roller skating, skiing, and weaving on their loom.
Alec Tonjes doesn't just play music. He embodies music. It engulfs him and he engulfs it, to the point at which you cannot tell which part is music and which part be-eth Alec! Oh ho ho he ha! It is a sight to BEHOLD. NO REFUNDS
Cellist and Composer Michelle Kinney is a lifelong improviser inspired by collaborative cross-genre and cross-cultural work, and non-traditional contexts for the cello. Michelle dislikes schlepping her amp and gear around, but she does it anyway. Often.
Brandon Wozniak is one of Minnesota’s most exciting saxophonists. He returned to the twin cities in 2006 after six years in New York City and a six-month stint in Shanghai, China. Wozniak studied music at Indiana University with David Baker and privately with Tom Walsh. Brandon performs regularly with Dave King’s (Bad Plus, Happy Apple drummer) Dave King Trucking Company with saxophonist Chris Speed, the Atlantis Quartet (City Pages Best Jazz Artist 2011, Star Tribune Best Jazz Artist 2012), Bryan Nichols Quintet, Chris Bates Red 5, Vector Families, Zacc Harris Group, Lars Larson’s Mancrush, various groups with bassist Anthony Cox plus many other projects. Brandon has also performed with Eric Kamau Gravatt (Weather Report, McCoy Tyner), singer Nellie McKay, toured with the Tommy Dorsey Jazz Orchestra and shared the stage with drummer Francisco Mela (Joe Lovano’s US Five), Steve Davis, David Berkman, Ben Wendel and Dennis Gonzalez. Brandon’s latest project is a solo saxophone project with electronics called Woz & Effects.