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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2004)
BY VANESSA SALVIA NATURA NUTRITION FREE SEMINAR!! “Feeding the Healthiest Pet Food in the World” JAY BLAKESBERG Thursday, April 22 • 7pm Garaj Mahal plays the McDonald Theatre Thursday, April 22. Eclectic Jazz 252 W. 7th • Eugene (on 7th between Lincoln & Charnelton) Garaj Mahal, Manischewitz span jazzy genres. A 2000 jam session brought together four ace musicians with a résumé spanning stints with Sting, Steve Kimock, John McLaughlin, Bela Fleck and Chick Corea. That fate-tempting meeting was the root of the formation of Garaj Mahal , a four piece consisting of bassist Kai Eckhardt, guitarist Fareed Haque, drummer Alan Hertz and keyboardist Eric Levy. Haque was born in 1963 to a Pakistani father and a Chilean mother. Extensive trav- els to Western Europe, the Middle East and Chile exposed Haque to a wide variety of music at a young age. Eckhardt, born in 1961 in Mainz, Germany to a German mother and Liberian father, was raised in Germany and West Africa. Hertz’s background is solidly in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he is among the region’s most sought after drummers. His collaborations with Steve Kimock (Zero, Other Ones, Phil & Friends), Bobby Vega (Zero, Jefferson Starship, Quicksilver), and Frank Zappa alumnus Ray White in 1998 became known as KVHW. The group produces timeless jazz but doesn’t stop there; the dish is livened up by a combination of funk, fusion, blues and world beats that causes Garaj Mahal to stand out in a crowded scene. Eric Levy hails from the Windy City and was steeped in Chicago’s gospel and blues traditions as well as jazz and classical. Interestingly, as Levy proceeded with his musical education at Northern Illinois University, Fareed Haque became his pro- fessor. Now, master and disciple jam togeth- er. What each member of the foursome brings to the mix is his own spice, seasoned by diverse backgrounds and experiences. Together, they blend most deliciously into a pleasing assortment of grooves. The group produces timeless jazz but doesn’t stop there; the dish is livened up by a com- bination of funk, fusion, blues and world beats that causes Garaj Mahal to stand out in a crowded scene. Garaj Mahal’s first studio album, Mondo Garaj, has recently been released to wide acclaim, and a second album is in the works. Garaj Mahal plays the McDonald Theatre on Thursday, April 22nd. Local jazz quintet Manischewitz is set to celebrate what would have been the 80th birthday of Henry Mancini, a versatile and multi-talented composer who brought soothing and invigorating themes to popular film and television programs. Mancini was responsible for the irre- pressible coolness of The Pink Panther and Peter Gunn. (Mancini scored all of the Pink Panther movies.) He took John Wayne to wildest Africa with the soundtrack for the 1962 movie Hatari. The film Breakfast at Tiffany’s just wouldn’t be the same without the Mancini-composed and conducted score. “Hubcaps and Taillights,” “Mr. Yunioshi,” and “Moon River” (with Johnny Mercer) never cease to thrill. Born Enrique Mancini in Cleveland on April 16, 1924, he first burst onto the scene as a pianist-arranger for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, then under the direction of Tex Beneke. Hollywood welcomed Mancini with open arms, during which time he penned the unforgettable tunes we revere him for today. Mancini’s compositions were performed by the best jazzers of the time, allowing jazz buffs to go nuts and the casual music fan to revel in his inventive artistry. This cross-musical love affair is being kept alive by Manischewitz: coronet and accordion by Michael Roderick, also of Eugene’s Mood Area 52, Los Mex Pistols, Scrambled Ape, Wheel of Meat and RocketBoy Arts Records; alto sax by West Coast Rhythm Kings’ and Mood Area 52’s Kee Zublin; drums by James West (Justin King, Norma Fraser, the Habaneros); guitar by Gung Ho Recording Studios’ owner Billy Barnett (who also plays guitar with other local celebrities, like Dan Jones and Ed Cole); and double bass by Eugene jazz musician Hamilton Mays. The Mancini celebration happens Friday at the Downtown Lounge. Mood Area 52 ’s tango-inspired original compositions will open the festivities, with film clips and Manishewitz following. For all you music lovers and philatelists, a commemorative postage stamp honoring Mancini, who died June 14, 1994, is scheduled for release on April 13th. ew For more info: 302-6279 thehealthypet.net 14 TH A NNUAL Multicultural Storytelling Festival featuring nationally known storytellers . . . MICHAEL PARENT (Tales from a French-Canadian) GLADYS COGGSWELL (Tales from an African American) MEGUMI (Tales from Japanese Folklore) l rfu e!!! e c d on rien d older) W e n a A Exp ges 10 ly for a mi ommended a F (rec Tickets: $8.00 per person OR $20.00 for a family of four (cash or check only). Available at The Actors Cabaret & at the door. **Also: CDs, tapes, shirts and books for sale** Robert Rubinstein • Producer/Director SaTuRdAy Evening, ApRiL ThE V ERy L iTtLe 24 th @ 7 :3 0 pm T hEaTrE 2350 Hilyard St. • 344-7751/344-8176 Sponsored by: Lane Arts Council, Springfield Education Association / Oregon Education Association, City of Eugene, Oregon Community Credit Union, Very Little Theatre, Selco Credit Union& National Storytelling Network APRIL 15, 2004 25
