This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://beetweentherivers.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://beetweentherivers.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Zacc is Back

Zacc Harris writes tell us he is bringing his modern jazz group, Atlantis Quartet, down to Carbondale and Cape Girardeau this week. The group performs some very fresh and progressive stuff, mostly original, and the players are phenomenal. AQ combines elements of modern music such as indie rock, punk, funk, and soul with both traditional and post modern jazz concepts.

The band's debut CD was praised by Dwight Hobbes of the Twin Cities Pulse who wrote "strong original compositions and some insanely serious chops." AQ will be in the March issue of Jazz Improv Magazine.

Get a taste of AQ's chops at Myspace/Atlantis Quartet. They'll be playing in Carbondale tonight, Thursday, February 14 @ Tres Hombres 10PM ~ $3 Cover, and Saturday, February 16 @ Hangar 9 opening for Bumpus, 10PM ~ $5 Cover.

Jazzy return to Carbondale - Special

Jazzy return to Carbondale - Special: "Guitarist Zacc Harris played an average of 200 shows a year while he was attending SIUC, but this week's performances with his new jazz project Atlantis Quartet are his first in the area since he moved to Minneapolis, Minn. in 2005.

Atlantis Quartet is playing at Tres Hombres Thursday, at Port Cape in Cape Girardeau Friday and Hangar 9 Saturday."

Street Music at Hangar 9

Ivas John new CD: "The Ivas John Band 'Street Music' CD release party. Wednesday, Feb. 14. 10 p.m. Hangar 9, 511 S. Illinois Ave. Carbondale. For more information call (618) 549-0511."

Away from Egypt

Carbondale's entertaining rock band Majnun has been on a very successful performance tour of Germany and the Netherlands this summer, making new friends and fans everywhere they play, as you can read in Majnun's blog, where one item caught my attention:

Din [Dayemi]'s new wireless microphone provided a lot of crazy action including something that looked like pole dancing, and the emergence of some alternate personality which sounded like German military. The combination of these two personae provoked some interesting responses from the audience."

So I'm wondering . . . Pole dancing? (Polish dancing?) Alternate personality? Interesting responses? Unfortunately the item has vanished from the blog, but if I have a chance to ask someone in the band when they get back to where their belongings are, I will. ;-)

Music festival offers expanded jazz performances

Music festival offers expanded jazz performances: "CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Music lovers of all ages will swing to all that jazz during the second annual Southern Illinois Music Festival, which started June 11 and continues through July 4.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale's School of Music and the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra are sponsoring more than 40 concerts, including several jazz performances that will feature local artists.

'We expanded the Southern Illinois Music Festival's jazz offerings this year from one event to eight events because we have a terrific ensemble in residence, the New Arts Jazztet,' said Edward M. Benyas, artistic director of the festival. 'It provides a wonderful added dimension to the classical art music of the festival.'

The New Arts Jazztet has been a mainstay on the Southern Illinois jazz scene for more than 20 years. During this year's festival, the group will perform at concerts in Cairo, Carbondale and Harrisburg. Members include Bob Allison on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tyler Kuebler on saxophone, Mel Goot on piano, Phil Brown on bass, Ron Coulter on drums and Tom Hensold on percussions. The members have experience sharing the stage with some of the greatest jazz geniuses of our time."

Much more Ivas

Booking the Ivas John Band at Jimbo's for the Between the Rivers CD release party in Harrisburg taught me a few things, (including how to make a radio spot) so Ivas wants me to book his band at other venues in the midwest, which will be a good learning experience for me, plus the standard agent's fee, so Much More Media has another client. Ivas is a dynamic blues performer, and his band is tight as Wayne Goodwin's drums. Currently, they're working on a CD of all original songs.