NO COVER 7:00pm Show
Alex Frank, an up-and-coming jazz guitarist based in Kansas City, MO, will be joined by Twin Cities players Murphy Smith (bass), Pete Hennig (drums), and Ted Godbout (piano).
Guitarist/composer/educator Alex Frank takes a modern approach to the rich Kansas City jazz tradition. He can be found leading his trio and quartet in the numerous clubs scattered across KC. He has collaborated with renowned local artists such as Adam Larson, Matt Otto, Brian Ward, Marcus Lewis, Brandon Draper, and Matt Villinger. Internationally, Alex was invited to debut his upcoming record at the Classical Beat Festival in Travemünde, Germany, where he also performed with a big band led by renowned French composer Pierre Bertrand. As an educator, Alex currently teaches jazz combo and guitar courses at the University of Kansas, where he received his master’s degree in composition. In school, he wrote several new large and small ensemble works and was selected to present his work "Hymn for Peace” at the 2022 ISJAC Symposium in Austin, TX. In 2022, Alex was awarded an enabling grant from the Koch Cultural Trust to produce his highly anticipated debut album, "Reclaim," featuring Matt Villinger, Jeff Harshbarger, and John Kizilarmut.
Ted Godbout has performed professionally throughout the Midwest and the Northwest. He earned his bachelor's degree in piano performance from St. John's University and his master's in jazz studies from the University of Oregon. Ted performs regularly as a pianist and keyboardist in the Twin Cities.
Pete Hennig graduated from McNally Smith College of Music with a degree in percussion performance, followed by two years of private study with Twin Cities-based drummer Dave King. Since 2010, he has performed at several European festivals and venues, including the Sons d'hiver festival in Paris, the Atlantique Jazz festival, and the Pannonica Jazz festival in northern France. In 2011, he received the Twin Cities Best Jazz Award with The Atlantis Quartet.
Murphy Smith’s sound blends old and new, familiar and unique. Raised in Kansas City, he found a love for music in his father’s home studio. Training as a jazz bassist, he received his degree in jazz studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and refined his musicality in New Orleans, playing with some of the best musicians in the city. Currently residing in Minneapolis, Murphy carries the sounds of Kansas City and New Orleans with him everywhere he goes. Predominantly inspired by his father's songwriting, he also pulls from the sounds of an amalgam of other artists, ranging from the Beatles to Maggie Rogers. His music covers a wide range of topics—from cats, to love, to notebooks, to how different people view the world.
