Lewistown News-Argus
Saturday, September 25, 2004. 5A
by Vicky McCray
Special to the News-Argus

Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio dazzles listeners

A delicious Montana Angus roast beef dinner and a dynamite concert - what better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon! Judith Arts Society ticket holders were captured Sunday, Sept. 19, by a petite, dark-haired beauty whose voice would make the angels in heaven jealous.

Jeni Fleming, along with her husband Jake on the guitar and saxophone and Chad Langford on the bass, make up the group Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio. These three Montana State University-Bozeman graduates regaled their audience with a diverse collection of songs, everything from "Mr. Bojangles" to what they described as "a nice Irish tune from Brazil, called 'O Pato' (The Duck)."

Before the 4 p.m. performance, concert-goers enjoyed a scrumptious roast beef dinner served by the Hobson FCCLA chapter.

After everyone had eaten, Jake Fleming, spokesman for the musical group, spread his arms to the audience and told everyone how "absolutely blown away by all of this" the group was. Spending an afternoon on stage in Hobson was as enjoyable to them as he hoped the performance would be pleasing to their listeners.

And no one was disappointed. The group sang songs they had written and songs familiar to everyone in the room. The audience was enraptured by Jeni's voice. She seemed to sing not only with her voice, but also with her eyes. Every time an eyebrow raised, her voice elevated an octave. Her facial expressions absorbed her listeners in the varying emotions of the lyrics.

Jake wrote several of the songs performed during the afternoon, some of them just simple stories everyone could relate to. Chad, a master bass player, moved rhythmically to the sounds and vibrations of the strings he plucked.

"It was a successful start to a season we're very much looking forward to," said Marcia Clary, Judith Arts Society Board Chairman. "We hope to see everyone at the next performance on Nov. 14."