Profile :: Pat Smith-Rich Wagor-John Shultz-Erick Thompson

So you think you know Jazz?? Try Eleanor Rigby or Strawberry Fields rearranged Smith-style and you may find yourself embracing America’s Revision (basically the British Invasion with a twistJ) with a whole new enthusiasm.

Pat Smith (Guitar Man with the delicate fingers) and Rich Wagor (Upright Bass Man with a mean bow) make up the core of this ensemble, with John Shultz (Keyboards Man with the unpredictable left foot) and Erick Thompson (Drums Man with the sometimes borrowed, sometimes new sticks) rounding out the sound on occasions such as those held here at Java Creek Café.

With no singer to steal the limelight and overshadow the real musicians you get to actually hear music for its own sake, and, boy is it a lot more impressive without all that wailing up front. Of course you can always sing along, if you feel moved to do so…

Jazzy blues and bluesy jazz, numbers you recognize without knowing how you know them, classic standards we all love, not to mention that improvisational solo that rocks your world when you least expect it – all this and more from the quartet du jour on their world tour of Iowa, catch them while you may!