Jazz Sandwich Local Artist


    Contact: info@jazzsandwich.com

    Websites: Jazz Sandwich's Myspace profile, Band Website

    Genre: Alternative

    Jazz Sandwich is Jazz group from Urbana. The band offers a unique outlet for all five talented musicians to push the creative envelope. The band consists of Jesse Brown, a.k.a. "Yellow Mustard," on base, Jeff Helgesen, a.k.a. "Toasted Wheat Bun," on trumpet, Josh Quirk a.k.a. "Hot Relish," on drums and Tom Paynter, a.k.a. "TOMato, " on flute, keyboard and any other items he chooses to make music with.

    Jazz Sandwich was started by a few friends who wanted to get together and just play music. No singular style. No boundaries. No rules. Their first shows were free, composed on the spot, and resembled more of an art show than a gig. Costumes, lighting, smokes machines and singing happy birthday in French over country music let the audience know right away that Jazz Sandwich was going to play whatever they wanted to. Over time, structured music began to take the place of complete improvisation. The band started to cover songs that fit with their unique treatments of music.
    The band members' backgrounds are as varied as their sound. Touring jazz musicians, music composition, and jazz majors alongside freelance and session players covering diverse styles including jazz, country, polka, heavy metal and the blues. Although they call themselves Jazz Sandwich they are by no means limited to the genre of jazz. With compositions from Jimi Hendrix to Thelonius Monk to TV themes and movie soundtracks like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the band is happy to play anything they find interesting as a vessel for musical conversation. Their wall of sound is organic and synthetic with all members having access to effect pedals and various other methods of sound manipulation.
    It's pointless to further explain a band that just needs to be heard. When drummer Josh Quirk was asked to describe their sound his answer was ”Jazz Sandwich offers us a unique musical outlet to play all the things that would get us fired from our other bands.”