The Bozone
Entertainment and Events Calendar
Dec. 15, 2004 - Volume 11, Number 24
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JENI FLEMING ACOUSTIC TRIO - A CLASS ACT

Oh my god can that girl sing! I have not had the pleasure of hearing Jeni Fleming prior to this and was I ever impressed! The festive occasion began in the foyer with hors d'oeuvres being served lavishly in an elegant display by white jacketed gentlemen complemented by a full service bar. I must say, a very tasty presentation tastefully presented.

The Emerson stage was beautifully decorated with rich Persian carpets and three Christmas trees with little white lights creating a warm inviting backdrop worthy of such a performance. The trio was accompanied by Mike Gillan of Backburner fame. Well, not just Backburner; Mike is asked to play by the best and takes the drum seat with Andrew Growmiller and the Organic Trio, the Shufflebums and anyone else good enough to deserve his multi-faceted talent.

Dressed in a rich low cut brown satin gown with a large white lily over her left ear, her flawless complexion and exotic looks beaming beautific beauty, she mesmerized the audience with crisp clear dulcet melodies. With a voice seeming like a cross between Barbara Streisand and Ella Fitzgerald, she sailed effortlessly over the scales. Her voice expressive, velvety and resonant, she treated the audience to everything from slow bluesy ballads to classy renditions of timeless standards, such as "Send In the Clowns" and "Somewhere over the Rainbow" to numerous originals written by her husband, Jake. One of the songs from the "Trinity" album was his proposal of marriage to her four years ago.

As the evening progressed, the trio grew from Jake, Jeni and Chad Langford, on stand up bass; at one point, burgeoning to a healthy septet. Wonderfully talented and worthy of admission to this elite group were: Jake's brother Nathan, a percussionist currently living in Nashville who hadn't played live with the trio before; Craig Hall, a very skilled guitarist and Kyle Brenner accompanying them very capably on cello. In "Breaking the Chains," Jake got to showcase his talents hitting clear sweet soprano sax riffs.

The last song, "In My Life" which is on the latest CD, "Once Around the Sun," was so beautiful it almost brought tears to my eyes. As the crowd cheered the musicians bowed gracefully, then stood their ground. The audience seemed confused at first until Jeni quipped, "Ha, there'll be no fake walk off tonight... just check out the shoes I'm wearing!" Then, as her luscious and sometimes breathy voice danced over the scales, at times, soaring to hit the highest of high notes only to flutter back to treetop level, it happened... tears filled my eyes!

I managed to catch up with Jake after the concert to gain his perspective on what he feels creates the magic in Jeni's music. He believes Jeni has been given a special gift in that her voice strikes a chord. This connects the listener to her very "essence or spirit" which puts them in touch with the vibrations of their universe and own divinity. They visit this etherial plane only on rare occasions and the beauty there, brings tears to the eyes of many. I believe it occurs outside of her control. It is a phenomenon that takes people to a deeper emotional level and it is a beautiful thing to observe, but I doubt that Jeni even understands it completely.

I also spoke to Jake about what they do in addition to performing. Jake writes most of their original music and teaches as does Jeni. They teach because they believe being a musician carries with it a responsibility to share their impressions of the art with the next generation. I also asked a little about Chad and how he fits in with the trio. Jake thought for a moment, and said, "Chad is the backbone of the trio and adds another dimension. With the addition of his artistry all kinds of possibilities opened up. He provides not just a baseline, but a thoughtful, creative contribution that is uniquely his and is very distinctive.

In conclusion, this was a performance worthy of Carnegie Hall... in fact, they'd be blessed to have the Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio grace their presence. Trust me, this girl is goin' somewhere and not just whistlin' Dixie! "Wow" just doesn't get it... it was ineffable... beyond description! An angel has visited amoung us, ladies and gentlemen, and her name is Jeni Fleming!

To experience the trio for yourself, you can attend a special dinner concert at The Cabin Restaurant in Big Sky on January 9th. Cocktails are served at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Then at 8 p.m. the Jeni Fleming Trio will perform. For reservations and more information, call Roger Schwer at 995-7438.