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Volume 5 Issue 36
September 3, 2015
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Woodstock Jazzes Up the Square By Anne Eickstadt, Correspondent
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orthern Illinois jazz lovers gather ed in Woodstock on Friday and Saturday, August 21-22, for the 2015 Woodstock Jazz Festival. Hosted by Jazz on the Square, this weekend draws in new audiences as well as discerning music fans. The Festival opened Friday night at the Stage Left Café at 8 pm. A ‘Sold Out’ evening means that the Nia Quartet and Johnny Walker Trio play to a full house. The Nia Quintet is quite in demand in Chicago and features some of the finest musicians in Chi-town. They play original music composed by their trumpeter, Scott Anderson. Anderson was a semi-finalist in the 2012 International Songwriters Competition. The group receives rave reviews and their songs rise to the Top 50 on the playlist charts. The Johnny Weber Trio recently backed a dozen original jazz compositions with Billy Denk, one of the founders of Jazz on the Square. A free Jazz in the Morning concert is being held on the historic Woodstock Square. Accompanying the Woodstock Farmers Market, three jazz bands jam from the Gazebo. Potts & Pans Steelband leads off the morning at 8:30. The group is comprised of professional musicians and can vary from 1 to over 10 performers. www.pottsandpans.com.
photo by Anne Eickstadt
Potts & Pans Steelband pose following their musical jazz presentation on Saturday morning during Woodstock’s Jazz Festival.
They are followed at 9:45 by Bobby Lane’s Sketchbook. Bobby Lane is a jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Bobby is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree
in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. He is active as a bandleader and composer with his quintet, Sketchbook. www. bobbylanessketchbook.bandcamp.com
The Outcast Jazz Band is17 members strong, boasting 5 saxophones, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets, a full rhythm section and several vocalists. They concentrate on the big band sounds of the 30’s, 40’s and
50’s. They also toss in a bit of anyone from Van Morrison to Paul Simon to Ray Charles. The Outcast Jazz Band was founded in 1981 by the late
See SQUARE, Page 2
Down 2 Earth in Woodstock celebrates first anniversary By Anne Eickstadt, Correspondent
photos by Anne Eickstadt
Above: Down 2 Earth is positioned on the historic Woodstock Square, beside Dave’s Woodstock Music and around the corner from Ethereal Chocolates. Left: Jason Neveu has crafted this unique leather display piece which is currently residing in the front window of Down 2 Earth.
WOODSTOCK — Thursday, September 3, marks the first anniversary of opening day for Down 2 Earth in Woodstock. Located at 107 E. Van Buren Street, it can be found between Material Things and Dave’s Woodstock Music and is just around the corner from Ethereal Chocolate. “It’s been an amazing first year. Thank you to everyone who has made it so great,” Nina Huffman, owner, says. Down 2 Earth carries jewelry, décor items, rocks and minerals, leather goods and more. Their herbs and teas have many healthful uses including calming the mind and aiding with digestion. The shop is open seven days a week and has been a big hit in the area. “We couldn’t do it without all of our new friends and our fantastic community,” Jason Neveu, Nina’s fiancé and co-owner, tells me. “We wouldn’t be successful without them.” “This is one thing we said we would never do,” Nina confides, “Our prices are already so great. But people have been so good to us and customers have asked for it. So, to celebrate our one year anniversary and to thank our wonderful customers and the community, we are offering, for one day only, 20% off our Native American jewelry.” The shop will be extending its hours of operation
that day from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm. “From 5-7 pm, our palm reader Deann will be here to do readings for $10.00,” Nina says. While visiting the shop, you will still be able to see Woodstock’s ‘Wild Thing’ gnarly antlers mounted on the wall. Jason found them while shed hunting – looking for antlers shed each year by the deer. They have been scored at 12 non-typical and have been presented a Unique award by the Wisconsin Buck and Bear Club. The leatherwork in the shop is hand-crafted but Jason is kept too busy to make many display pieces. He is creating custom designs for purses, bags, wallets, belts and more. One gal ordered a belt for her mountain-climbing boyfriend. The belt featured the entire Teton Mountain range spanning its length. Nina and Jason are both delighted to be approaching their first anniversary with Down 2 Earth. The shop is a dream come true for Nina. She learned to love retail while helping out at her mother’s, Cindy Huffman, shop, The Bison Trading Post. Cindy’s shop was located near the Woodstock Cinema before it closed in 2006. The great success of Nina’s dream is why she has decided to celebrate with this very special sale of Native American jewelry. More information on Down 2 Earth can be found on their Facebook page.