Nick’s Cousins

Sunday, March 31

8PM ✖ Bar ✖ Free ✖ 21+

With members hailing from diverse musical backgrounds, Nick’s Cousins finds common ground and rises up to fill a gap in the vibrant Minnesota music scene that few knew existed. At the intersection of high-energy rock and improvised jazz solos, experimental harmonies meet blazing-fast odd meters. Saxophonist Matty Harris plays a dozen woodwinds and studied music at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) with jazz legends Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Vinny Golia and Joe LaBarbera. His compositions were chosen three times for the Capitol Records CalArts Jazz CD project. Guitarist Eric Carranza is a titan of the music scene. His chameleonic guitartistry can be heard in varied settings from touring with the future-pop outfit Har di Har to playing intimate duo shows with tabla player Suwal Singh. Drummer Kismat D Shrestha (Nepal) studied jazz drumming at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory and is a member of the internationally touring Nepalese rock band Albatross. Shrestha’s impeccable style and rhythm is the solid bedrock that seems to keep the ensemble from careening off the rails. Rocky Schulze honed his virtuosic prog-rock style of bass guitar playing while a member of math-metal band Children of Euler. A portion of Nick’s Cousins’ repertoire consists of stripped-down, raw versions of pieces from Harris’ 2016 avant-garde large ensemble release Matty Harris Double Septet (pfMentum recordings) which featured septuagenarian woodwinds legend Vinny Golia and was mastered at Capitol Records. A few review excerpts of the record (LP+CD): “A program brimming with…horns based convergences, soulful proclamations, subtle melodic inventions and pieces often designed with embryonic buildups and burgeoning choruses.” –AllAboutJazz.com “This is gorgeous and often profound and thoroughly meditative.” -KUCI 88.9 FM (Los Angeles) The remainder of Nick’s Cousins’ program consists of both original compositions and traditional songs from around the world reimagined in the band’s unique style. Plans for the future include recording and releasing live and studio recordings and touring internationally.