Victor and Penny were named “Best Folk Ensemble 2015” by the Pitch and “Standout Concert of the Year” by the Joplin Globe. They’re also two-time Folk Alliance International official showcase artists. Victor and Penny feature tight vocal harmonies, dazzling guitar work, and a fiery ukulele. This corset-tight group brings a modern Kansas City voice to their original tunes and prohibition era jazz with sterling musicianship. When joined by their fine band, Loose Change Orchestra, the red-hot horn section and upright bass bring sparks a-plenty and virtuosic musicianship.
The group released a new full-length CD, “Electricity,” which debuted on the Folk Radio DJ charts at No. 12 with the No. 3 song. The March release “Electricity” crackles and sparks with joy and regret, truths and dares, love and love gone wrong all set to a score of vibrant, rhythmic swing and virtuosic musicianship.
The group is composed of Jeff Freling (Blue Man Group, Chicago) and Erin McGrane (George Clooney’s, “Up in the Air” and cabaret troupe Alacartoona). McGrane is a published poet (Spartan Press 2016), an ArtsKC Fund Inspiration Grant recipient, a Mid-America Arts Alliance Professional Development Grant recipient as well as a fellow of the ArtistINC program, for which she serves as a peer facilitator and a workshop presenter.
Formally trained at Berklee School of Music in Boston and the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, Freling participated in the international program, The Acoustic Guitar Project in 2014 and is an accomplished composer, arranger and instrumentalist.
The members of the Loose Change Orchestra include classically trained reeds virtuoso James Isaac, who fronts his own highly respected jazz quartet, The James Isaac Group and is a member of the People’s Liberation Big Band. Bassist Rick Willoughby attended the UMKC Conservatory of Music and is a member of Quixotic, The Snow Globes, and the Barclay Martin Ensemble. Multi-instrumentalist Kyle Dahlquist (Hardship Letters, Liz Finity Affair) rounds out the lineup with trombone, accordion, and vocals.