By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Part II: Making the (Jensen) Connection

When the levee breaks... sing

Music community pitches in to help hurricane victims

As donations to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina continue to pour into Gulf Coast communities, some Iowans from the local music scene are doing their part to support the cause.

"Instantly, you feel you want to help," says Brandon Foley, singer-guitarist for the Des Moines-based trio Mondo Cane (pronounced "Mondo Connie") and organizer of the "Pop Save New Orleans" concert to be held Friday at the Vaudeville Mews. "I've never been to New Orleans, but I've been fascinated by it. I think it's a city that's in everyone's hearts because it's a cultural center in America."

Foley's lineup of bands is as eclectic as the sounds that have emerged from the Crescent City. Friday's concert includes performances by Stuck With Arthur, Big American Party (the defunct group is reuniting), Mondo Cane, Poison Control Center and The Flesh Keys. "I wanted to get as many different-sounding bands together to get the largest audience I could," says the 20-year-old Des Moines Area Community College student.

Admission to the show, which starts at 10 p.m., is $5, and proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina fund. Foley says he hopes to raise at least $750. If he does, he plans to host similar events in Ames and Iowa City.
"Artists have helped bring people together for years," Foley says. "I wanted to make people feel like they can make a difference."

Rick Ludwig, owner of Showtime Entertainment DJ & Karaoke of Des Moines, is also encouraging people to put their money where their mouth is. He has scheduled karaoke events to be held next week and is also hoping to raise money for the American Red Cross.

Each time a participant at one of Ludwig's events donates at least $1 to the hurricane relief fund, the Showtime owner will donate $1 to the same fund. Ludwig will host karaoke events Tuesday at Trophy's Bar and Grill in Des Moines and Sept. 30 at Rookie's Sports Bar & Grill in West Des Moines. Showtime for each event is 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

"I just love being able to give back," he says in a written statement. "I know if I were in their shoes, I would really appreciate the support."

Singers interested in participating in Ludwig's karaoke events can call 208-1782 or visit www.singforthecause.com for more information.

One group, the Party Gras Classic Jazz Band, is hosting a free concert Oct. 2 at Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines to solicit cash and non-perishable food items that will directly benefit Gulf Coast musicians.

The band's leader, Kurt Bowermaster, says all money donated will be sent to the American Federation of Musicians' non-profit Gulf Coast Relief Fund. The AFM will match every dollar contributed up to $100,000. Food items will be given to the Des Moines Area Religious Council's Emergency Food Pantry.

Finally, Iowa City singer-songwriter Kelly Pardekooper, who now calls Nashville home, is donating profits from the sales of his four albums available online at CD Baby to the American Red Cross, too. Visit www.cdbaby.com. CV

Making the (Jensen) Connection

Sparks fly when these Iowa City musicians get together

Though open jams, in principle, are designed to unite musicians, they rarely succeed. Anyone who has ever attended one, let alone participated in one, knows that an assortment of strangers thrown haphazardly together onstage under the spotlight for the first time rarely make beautiful music. But on the special occasion that they do, when the music transcends influences, skill sets and personalities, they can be magical.

Such was the case about 18 months ago when musical sparks began to fly at an open jam at the Iowa City Yacht Club. That's when a handful of Des Moines and Iowa City musicians, most of whom were attending the University of Iowa, sat in with one another for the first time and began to realize their collective potential. A few months later, after the core group recruited some additional players to use the jam as a platform to see whether or not they could gel, the Jensen Connection - featuring Emmet Sheehan (lead vocals, guitar), Matt Skinner (guitars, vocals), Pat Jensen (drums), Brian Cretzmeyer (piano, accordion, vocals), Ryan Casteel (bass) and Adam Morford (auxiliary percussion) - was born.

"I think we're really lucky to have found each other," says Casteel, the band's oldest member at age 28. "I knew Emmet was a legitimate front man the first time I saw him at the jam. I knew if we could find a good drummer, we could do well."

Not only did the band find a good drummer, they found two. Morford is now the band's steady timekeeper and Jensen, who is focusing on a career outside of music, is the group's part-time percussionist.

But more importantly, the group immediately recognized its ability to mesh a variety of influences ranging from classical music to the Allman Brothers Band to The Dave Matthews Band and Sublime to Parliament Funkadelic. They even found out they can write songs together.

"Our sound is such a big spectrum," Casteel says. But unlike most bands that incorporate such varied influences, the Jensen Connection's bassist says the group doesn't consider itself to be a jam band. Instead it prefers to be called "homegrown rock 'n' soul."
"I think we're a jam-groove band," he says. "We like musicianship. We don't play 25-minute songs. We try not to bore the listeners. We focus on the singer-songwriter aspect. We don't want to lose people, but at the same time we can play our instruments."

That much is evident on the band's debut, full-length album, "Distracted," a stunning independent effort released last week. "Distracted" is anything but what its title suggests. It features 13 tight originals that traverse a multitude of styles and themes thanks to rock-solid songwriting, soulful singing, detailed musicianship and stellar production by John Svec at Minstrel Recordings and P2M Studios in Iowa City. And like the group itself, Casteel says the album came together fairly easily.

"We were confident about the material," he says. "And a lot of the songs have grown since then, as we play them more and continue to polish them."

As proud as the band is of "Distracted," Casteel says fans need to see the band in person to appreciate its full spectrum.

"We're like Widespread Panic," he says. "You haven't heard us until you've seen us live. Our shows, especially those when we come back to Des Moines, are turning into events. We've been getting good reaction from people. They show up singing our songs and it's kind of shocking. There's even bootlegs of us being passed around."

Casteel says the band wants to build its fan base by playing more shows. He says the group is looking to purchase a van to do some touring next spring and hopes the release of its CD and the addition of a Web site (www.jensenconnection.net) will enable it to make the quantum leap to become a full-time touring and recording outfit.
"That's the goal," he says. "We're getting there."

In the meantime, the Jensen Connection revels in its onstage craft. Casteel says those moments of spontaneous musical combustion is what brought them together and what keeps them together.

"We live for those moments when you step out of yourself and the crowd is reacting," he says. "It's awesome." CV

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