Producer/bassist Cory Grindberg’s new jazz trio promises fast tempos, slap bass, quirkily beautiful melodies, unstructured improvisation, and a good time. City Cast Twin Cities host and lifetime music aficionado Sean McPherson opens and closes the evening from behind the decks.

Band Members:
Cory Grindberg - 4-String Bass
Jake Baldwin - Trumpet
Ben Ehrlich - Drums

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Cory Grindberg, aka Letmode, is a musician from Minneapolis. He started playing bass in high school, performing locally and participating in the Dakota Combo and MYJB. After studying jazz at Northwestern University, he made beats in Chicago alongside @daedaePIVOT, working with Saba, Lizzo (with GRRRL PARTY), P.O.S, student 1, Bobby Raps, and many more. He produced music for children's books (Cantata Learning), commercials (Blinker), and TV shows (Abbott Elementary, Desus and Mero). After deciding to abandon recorded music, Cory fled Los Angeles for Minneapolis and began composing for a jazz trio. Hired Goons was formed in early 2026.

Jake Baldwin is one of the busiest freelance trumpet players in the Midwest. You can hear him with groups ranging from the iconic Four Freshmen to the Minnesota Orchestra. In 2023, Jake won a Grammy for his contributions to the video game Assassin’s Creed: Ragnarok. His most recent release, Misc. Items on the Shifting Paradigm record label, was hailed by DownBeat magazine as one of their "Best Releases Of 2023."

Ben Ehrlich is a drummer, educator, and composer based in Minneapolis, MN. After studying with Ed Soph and graduating from the University of North Texas in 2018, Ehrlich moved back to his home state and quickly became one of the top-call drummers in the Twin Cities jazz scene. Recognized for his versatility, Ehrlich has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Diane Schuur, Jens Lindemann, Davina and the Vagabonds, Javier Santiago, the JazzMN Orchestra, Leslie Vincent, and many others, including rock, blues and indie artists from around the country.

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Sean McPherson is the host of City Cast Twin Cities. He was previously the afternoon host and music director at Jazz88. McPherson is the co-founder and bassist of Heiruspecs, a spectacular live hip-hop band with a national touring history. He served as Dessa’s bassist from 2009 to 2014. No stranger to college, McPherson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007 with an individualized degree in music, African-American studies, and cultural studies. The same year he graduated college, McPherson co-founded Trivia Mafia, now the largest trivia company in the Upper Midwest. He lives in St. Paul with his wife, children and dogs.