This quartet—formed by JT Bates a number of years ago—digs back into lesser known standards, the beautiful melodies of the past given to us by the founders of this wonderful music. Now with the added weight of history, these songs and textures remind us all of power and delight inside the journey.

Band Members:
JT Bates - Drums
Jeff Bailey - Bass
Michael Lewis - Saxophone
Bryan Nichols - Piano

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Growing up in a musical family gave JT Bates an early start into sound and rhythmic exploration. He set on the path to becoming a working musician while playing in his father’s big band as a teen. Over the years, he remained steeped in the improvised music scene, both as a performer and presenter. In 2015, he produced and released his first solo album, Open Relationships (Totally Gross National Product), and in 2021, he released an album called Not Other Stuff. As a session drummer, Bates has appeared on Grammy record of the year Folklore (Taylor Swift) and Swift’s follow-up album, Evermore. He has also performed on the Grammy-nominated album s/t (Bonny Light Horseman) and critically acclaimed records by Bon Iver, Big Red Machine, Cassandra Jenkins, The National, Maya Hawke, and Ed Sheeran.

Jeff Bailey is a preeminent bassist in the Twin Cities. He is the director of the Certificate in Music Production Program at Hamline University, and he served as bass department head at McNally Smith College of Music for six years, developing and implementing a curriculum that integrated modern music technology with traditional conservatory culture.

Michael Lewis is regarded throughout the Twin Cities and well beyond as one of the most creative sax players in modern music, lending his blowing and bowing skills to a number of highly regarded ensembles. He is a core member of Happy Apple, Alpha Consumer, Bon Iver, and Fat Kid Wednesdays and has performed with Andrew Bird, Gayngs, and Fog.

Bryan Nichols is a pianist, composer, and educator based in Minneapolis. Often found playing jazz and improvised music, but at home in a variety of musical worlds, he leads and composes for his own trio, quintet, and nonet, in addition to performing, recording, and touring with a variety of forward-thinking artists. The Star Tribune has called him “a versatile, daring and inventive keyboardist...one of the Twin Cities' most respected jazz players.” He is a recipient of a prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Performing Artists and a residency at the Kennedy Center for Betty Carter's Jazz Aheadprogram. Nichols has released two albums as a leader to critical and audience acclaim; an original solo piano work, Looking North;and a suite of originals for his quintet, Bright Places.