Polyrhythms to host Iowa-Gulf Coast fusion band The Swampland Jewels
By NINA BAKER – Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa (TNS)
The Swampland Jewels, a fusion band mixing Iowa charm and Gulf Coast soul, will perform on Sunday, Jan. 19, for the first 2025 show in Polyrhythms’ Third Sunday Jazz series.
“Let The Swampland Jewels take you on a trip down old Highway 61, and across Route 90, through Southwest Louisiana, and into East Texas. Playing originals and a mix of Gulf Coast oldies, traditional Cajun/Creole and TexMex tunes, The Swampland Jewels are sure to get you on your feet,” Polyrhythms said in a press release on Thursday.
The Swampland Jewels includes five long-standing Iowa City musicians: Nate Basinger on accordion and vocals, Forrest Heusinkveld on vocals and drums, Eddie McKinley on tenor saxophone, Randall Davis on guitar and Marty Christensen on bass.
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The Swampland Jewels will play on Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities as part of Polyrhythms’ Third Sunday Jazz Series.
In April, The Swampland Jewels released their debut, self-titled album. The record chronicles vocalist Basinger’s journeys through the Iowa plains to the Gulf Coast shores of Texas and Louisiana.
Basinger’s first exposure to music was a mix of blues and folk from French Louisiana. In the 1990s, Basinger played in a band with the son of folklorist and musicologist Harry Oster. Later, Basinger performed as a member of the Iowa group The Diplomats of Solid Sound. In 2009, he set off to perform blues in Austin, Texas, and returned to Iowa a decade later.
At 3:00 p.m. the day of the show, the band will offer a music workshop at no charge. The concert begins at 5:00 p.m. and lasts two hours.
Performance doors open at 4:30 p.m. General admission is $20 per ticket, with free admission for children and students.
Polyrhythms is a Moline-based nonprofit dedicated to community and cultural arts advocacy. The Third Sunday Jazz Series takes place at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities at 3707 Eastern Avenue in Davenport.
Upcoming Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz performances include the Karli Bunn Quartet on Feb. 16, the Matt Fuller Band on March 16 and the Donovan Gustafson Ensemble on May 18.
Watch Now: Shrove Tuesday Jazz at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Davenport.
Shrove Tuesday Jazz at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Davenport with the Manny Lopez Quintet.
Photos: West Fork wins Class II Jazz, Council Bluffs St. Albert places 3rd, Woodbury Central is 4th, and Akron-Westfield, East Buchanan, Saint Ansgar and Riverside also compete at ISDTA state meet (Dec. 5, 2024)
West Fork won Class II Jazz, Council Bluffs St. Albert placed third, Woodbury Central placed fourth and Akron-Westfield, East Buchanan, Saint Ansgar and Riverside also competed on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association state championship at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.
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