THE FRANKLIN RANKIN QUARTET —
was born in Fall 2021 as the culmination of years of knowing each other as work friends only. We play a combination of jazz/folk/funk with an emphasis on original music and arrangements. Fun fact: no one in this band is over 6ft and we play like it.
FRANKLIN - Guitar
Franklin began exploring improvisational music at a young age while studying at the Harlem School of the Arts. He went on to graduate from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz Composition and recieved his Masters in Jazz Studies from NYU. Since then Franklin has been all over the NYC scene with such artists as Nona Hendryx, Azealia Banks, Mwenso and the Shakes, and Rashaad Newsome’s Assembly. Franklin has been featured on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon in the “Battle of the Instant Songwriters”. He leads his own projects: Big Stuff which is a pop/soul group that has been featured on Spotify’s “Retro Pop” editorial playlist, and The Franklin Rankin Quartet which is a jazz/funk collective.
KOBI - Drums
Drummer and producer Kobi “Trenchfoot” Abcede, a.k.a !KOBI, brings propulsive rhythmic prowess and a jazz-tinged harmonic palette to any musical context from LA to New York. Having honed his skills as a first-call jazz drummer and a member of the creative music collective Momentum, !KOBI became an in-demand collaborator for artists across the five boroughs, including Queens-based soul singer Duendita and pianist/rapper DAP the Contract. Based in NYC currently, !KOBI has caught the attention of the city’s music scene with his ability to not only swing relentlessly but also lay down a groove that will upturn the nostrils of the most seasoned hip-hop audiences.
JARED - Bass
Jared Beckstead-Craan is an artist, musician, composer, double-bassist, and educator. Born in Canada and raised in Madagascar and Beijing, China, Jared’s pursuit of music has taken them to performances in the United States, Canada, China and Jamaica with such luminaries as Quincy Davis, and Juno Award-winning Guitarist Jocelyn Gould. They currently reside in Brooklyn, where they are part of the New York—based collective Momentum.
KEVIN - Keys
Kevin Bernstein is a Brooklyn based keyboardist, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Hailing from Ventura, California, Kevin grew up in a musical family. In 2010, he moved to NYC to study jazz at the Manhattan School of Music. He currently freelances as a keyboardist, but plays regularly in the Alison Shearer Band, Slow Riches, Big Stuff, as well as his own solo project: K-Magic.