Koplant No is a forward-thinking, cinematic electro-jazz ensemble that fuses intricate compositions and jazz improvisation with electronica, progressive rock, and hip-hop. Called "one of the most innovative ensembles in the Midwest" by Minnesota Public Radio's David Cazares, they are the recipients of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and have performed at venues across the country in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., St. Louis, and at the 2015 World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France. Their potent music has the rare ability to satiate the most discriminating jazz aficionados, while completely disarming the anti-jazz crowd, and has been described as “a textural feast for the mind’s eye." Koplant No is: Joel Vanderheyden (tenor saxophone), Brian Lewis Smith (trumpet, laptop, keys), Drew Morton (bass, synth), and Rob Baner (drums, loops, vibes).
