Former band member extraordinaire John Jorgenson has a new project;
John Jorgenson and quintet heats up Grounds for Thought
By: Laura Lee Caracciolo
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Pulse
Most coffee houses limit themselves to espresso and the occasional donut. Some might add chess and CDs to the mix. Grounds For Thought offers all of this and much more.
The popular coffee shop and bookstore, located at 174 S Main St, has been putting on free live shows once a month for the past several years.
Grounds owner Kelly Wicks came up with the idea nearly 18 years ago but it wasn't until recently that he decided to bring free live music to the Bowling Green community on a regular basis.
Past shows have drawn in an average of 150 people, but last Friday the John Jorgenson Quintet played to an audience of over 200, according to Wicks.
"It was the biggest crowd we've had to date," Wicks said. "In December we had a crowd of 170, so people seem to be responding really well to what's going on."
The Quintet performed two one-hour sets of lively gypsy jazz to an all-ages crowd which included many regulars.
Wicks rearranged the book cases to accommodate around a hundred seats, but the venue was so packed that many enthusiastic audience members stood in the aisles and the back of the room.
The mostly instrumental music was fast-paced, animated and created a comfortable atmosphere. The result was a very involved crowd - shouting, cheering and clapping during songs and after.
Between numbers, Jorgenson, who has recorded and toured with artists such as Elton John, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, would explain his inspirations and reasons for writing certain songs.
Fans lingered when the show was over to speak to the band and support them by purchasing merchandise. The energy of the music continued even after the band stopped playing which is a good sign of a successful show.
Each month Wicks hopes to appeal to a variety of audiences by bringing in bands of different musical genres.
The next show at Grounds is on March 19 and features the Chicago-based jazz ensemble, Eddie Shaw and the Wolfgang.
For more information on upcoming shows check out the Grounds For Thought Web site at www.groundsforthought.com.
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