Elgin art showcase gets all jazzed up
It's a one-night event that organizers said they hope to turn into a monthly drawing card for Elgin.
The Elgin Jazz Espial will debut Friday night at the Elgin Art Showcase with the Loren Golden Quartet.
"We just hope to provide another entertainment outlet for Elgin," said organizer John McKevitt, an Elgin native and former city council member.
The showcase, on the eighth floor of the Elgin Professional Building at 164 Division St., has been open for a little more than a year.
Cherie Murphy, the city of Elgin's marketing officer, said the setting, state-of-the-art equipment and nearby amenities such as free parking and restaurants provide the perfect venue for a jazz session.
"It's an intimate setting for jazz," she said. "The purpose of the (art showcase) is to present all of the arts and we haven't done much music."
McKevitt, who has spent the last several years soaking up the jazz sounds of Chicago, said the Showcase's fireplace, floor-to-ceiling windows and limited seating make it the perfect place for a jazz show.
"It's a just a great venue and I've always been fascinated by it," he said.
Espial means discovery and McKevitt said he hopes people will visit the Art Showcase monthly to experience some Friday night jazz.
He's booked a date on May 30 and also monthly dates from September through May 2009.
McKevitt said he's amazed at how many talented musicians are out there who can't find a place to perform and he hopes they can express themselves in Elgin.
As for Friday, McKevitt said audience members should be in for a treat.
Golden is an Elgin area attorney who has played piano at numerous venues in past decades, including the Playboy Club in Chicago in the 1970s.
He recently recorded a new album and will have drummer Robert Shy, who has played with Ray Charles and at the legendary Green Mill in Chicago, as a guest performer Friday.
"Loren is extremely talented," McKevitt said. "Loren cut a new CD last year and has put together an amazing band. Robert is almost legendary in Chicago jazz circles. This is an absolute first-class band."
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance by visiting www.jazzespial.com.
Doors open at 7 p.m. and there will be appetizers and a cash bar, although audience members don't have to be 21 to enter. Seating is limited to 100.
If you go
What: Elgin Jazz Espial featuring the Loren Golden Quartet.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Where: Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., Elgin
Tickets: Seating capacity is limited to 100. For advance $20 tickets, visit www.jazzespial.com.