All of the members of Equinox are steeped in the jazz tradition which continually informs their search for personal avenues of expression in improvisation and composition. Among the band’s strengths is a vast and wide ranging repertoire that includes originals by all band members, modern and classic jazz pieces and choice American songbook standards.
Equinox consists of three Americans and an Irishman, all from different backgrounds. Guitarist Dan Nicholas hails from New York City where he studied for six years with Barry Harris and shared the stage with Jimmy Vass, George Braithe, Jimmy Lovelace and Frank Gant before moving to Holland in 2001.
Tenor Saxophonist Chris Johansen was born in Seattle Washington, and moved to Boston in 1999 to attend the highly esteemed New England Conservatory Jazz Program. There he studied with master saxophonists Steve Lacy, Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. Johansen moved to The Netherlands in 2003 and has since become one of the most treasured tenor saxophonists in the country.
Double Bassist Johnny Daly is a native of Dublin Ireland where he played with guitarist Louis Stewart (of the George Shearing Quintet). He has resided in The Netherlands since 2003, during which time he finished a study at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague while performing locally and touring Ireland with Dutch master drummer Eric Ineke.
Drummer A.J. Davis came to The Netherlands in 2007 from his hometown of Tallahassee Florida by way of Los Angeles. He has been active in various music scenes for over 20 years and, aside from his dedication to jazz, he has performed in many top blues bands throughout Florida and Los Angeles. An extremely versatile and sensitive accompanist, Davis has been much in demand as a sideman and has performed with the likes of Kenny Burrell and Marcus Roberts.
Equinox has existed as a working quartet since the fall of 2007 but with the exception of newcomer Davis the group’s members have been playing together since 2004. Nicholas and Daly originally began working as a guitar/bass duo but have been performing together in a great variety of contexts for the past four years, both in Holland and abroad. Currently, they hold a bi-weekly residence at The Hague’s “Pavlov Bar and Restaurant,” a venue that has become a center for jazz in Holland. Every Sunday afternoon at Pavlov Equinox performs with the legendary Dutch pianist Frans Elsen. On Tuesday nights, Nicholas, Daly and Davis accompany a different guest soloist each week. All members of Equinox are active performers on the Dutch jazz scene. Collectively, they have performed with a formidable range of Dutch and International musicians including: saxophonists John Ruocco, Ferdinand Povel, Dave Leibman, Ben Herman, Jimmy Halperin, Joris Roelofs, Simon Rigter, Ben Van Gelder, and Marco Kegel; trumpeters Ack Van Royen, Phil Harper, Ruud Breuls, and John Marshal; pianists Peter Beets, Frans Elsen, and Juraj Stanik.
Equinox has performed together regularly since the autumn of 2007. In April of 2008 they toured Ireland playing the music of Thelonious Monk at 11 venues in 9 different cities and towns. In September of 2009 their debut CD "Here and Now" was released on Maxanter records.
Myspace Layouts - Image Hosting - Forums