Ted Olsen will be joined by longtime rhythm section colleagues Joe Strachan and Miguel Hurtado for a night of explorative, emotive modern jazz. Featuring original compositions, arrangements, and standards, the first set will feature NYC-based young lion Sophia Kickhofel on alto saxophone. The second set will feature the outstanding vocalist and songwriter Aby Wolf.

Band Members:
Ted Olsen - Bass
Miguel Hurtado - Drums
Joe Strachan - Piano
Sophia Kickhofel - Alto Saxophone (Set 1)
Aby Wolf - Vocals (Set 2)

Ted Olsen is a double bassist from Minneapolis, MN, with extensive experience as a performer and composer. He has been fortunate enough to share the stage with many stellar musicians, including Michael Cain, Dayna Stephens, Javier Santiago, John Raymond, Tim Sparks, Dean Magraw, Aby Wolf, Eric Mayson, and Steve Kenny. Olsen’s original music is steeped in jazz yet forward-looking and accessible, creating bright moments of melody and harmonic color while allowing for spontaneous interplay. His 2017 debut garnered praise from the “Minnesota Star Tribune”: “The sprawling yet cohesive songcraft on Ted Olsen's new album, ‘Joyfire,’ attests to why he won an American Composers Forum award five years ago and followed it up as a finalist for the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Awards in 2015.”

Miguel Hurtado is a professional drummer and educator based in the Midwest. Born and raised in Minneapolis, MN, he started drumming at age 10 while attending Ramsey International Fine Arts Center. By age 14, he was playing gigs with youth jazz groups and local professional musicians. Miguel attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he received a BFA in jazz performance. Since returning to the Twin Cities, he has established himself as an important member of the rich hip-hop, jazz, and experimental music scenes. His musical versatility has allowed him to collaborate with artists across many genres of music, including West African, Latin, funk, pop, and gospel, as well as collaborations in the visual arts. Miguel can be seen playing at venues across the Midwest with such artists as Lady Midnight, the Ted Olsen Quartet, Your Smith, and the Minneapolis String Project.

Sophia Kickhofel is an alto saxophonist from Minnesota and based in New York City. She started studying classical saxophone at the age of 10 and began learning jazz music at 13. Kickhofel started to study solely jazz saxophone once she entered high school. While in high school, Kickhofel performed with national honor bands—including NYO Jazz and the National Association for Music Education Jazz Band—and received national awards, including YoungArts Finalist and the Irv Williams Fellowship. Kickhofel currently attends the Juilliard School in New York City, where she studies with bassist Ben Wolfe and saxophonist Bruce Williams. During her time in New York, she has had the opportunity to perform alongside Sean Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ulysses Owens Jr., and Victor Goines at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, Lincoln Center Shanghai, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club. Kickhofel strives to compose and perform music that evokes empathy within and community among audiences.

With over a decade of performance experience, Joe Strachan has accompanied dance on the piano, performed on synths and electronics, and composed for a diverse range of collaborations in dance and theater. His recent work has included performing Terry Riley's “In C” with six musicians and 18 dancers, touring with Craig Finn and Mixed Blood Theatre, and performing locally with ThoughtCast, Ahndendet, Charanga Tropical, Little Boat, and Adam Zahllers’ Wheel Eternal. Joe’s work has been recognized with awards such as the Next Step Fund (2020).

Aby Wolf is a Minneapolis-based vocalist, music maker, and passionate collaborator with an elastic skillset. Whether she is writing vocal arrangements; fulfilling commissions; or performing in clubs, theaters, and schools from Brainerd to Bratislava to Beijing, Wolf brings a palpable joy to whatever endeavor she pursues. A lifelong learner with an ever-expanding curiosity, Wolf has developed a sound distinguished not by typical markers of genre or instrumentation but by her impressive range of expression and experimentation.