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Baja Prog Rock Festival - 2004
March 3-6, 2004
In a word AWESOME! JJKAS opened the festivities at BajaProg 2004 in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. The event spanned 4 days with 20 international Progressive Rock bands. Initially it looked like rain would put a damper on the first day as the two bands, Oxygene8 and JJKAS, set up. Twice we had to scramble to cover the equipment from the sudden showers. However, rain could not quell the excitement of "A Tribute to Camel" JJKAS had prepared. Rain had cut into precious soundcheck time, which caused technical malfunctions throughout the set, but the audience graciously overlooked the bumps and bruises and responded enthusiastically with rousing ovations at the completion of each emotional movement of "The Snow Goose". JJKAS cut short their set, eliminating "Spirit on the Water" featuring 11-year-old Summer as well as Summer's vocal/piano solo, in order to allow Oxygene8 time for their full set. We were just thankful with the rain delay we could at least perform the entire Snow Goose. The greatest memory of the gig for Jack was the amazing ovations we were awarded and the fact that members of the band Arti E Mestieri from Italy, one of Saturday's headliners, attended our entire performance.
After attending the marvelous Wednesday evening performances by Richard Sinclair & Friends, the young ones J. A. & S. had to return home for school. Jack and Kim stayed for the Thursday afternoon shows plus had the great privilege of attending Arti E Mestieri's private rehearsal with Warren Dale who was sitting in with them on sax. That evening we saw the outstanding performance by CAST. After that, Jack and Kim drove home to San Diego for a busy weekend. Jack quarterbacked his church flag football team Saturday, and Sunday had opening day with his men's 40 and over baseball team, and somehow fit in taking the family all the way back to Mexicali to see Arti E Mestieri Saturday evening and back again to San Diego to see Dream Theatre Sunday night. Whew, what a week! We are so very grateful for having had the opportunity to meet and interact with many of the wonderful musicians that played during the festival and for all the fantastic prog fans who are the best audience one could possibly hope for! And especially to Alfonso of CAST who was so gracious in allowing us this wonderful experience, muchas gracias! A special thanks to Sir Douglas Worley, our sound engineer, whom we continuously challenge with our numerous instrumentation changes and also to Daniel "I too saw a goose" Young for the many hats we ask him to wear.
CAST at BajaProg 2004
Arti E Mestieri with Warren Dale on sax
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JJ KAS Symphonic Rock Music:
7918-N El Cajon Blvd. #304, La Mesa, CA 91941
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What a wonderful surprise it was to
find that our room at the beautiful Hotel Araiza Inn was right next door to
Richard Sinclair's, Camel's bass player from the 70's. We shared many stories
together and became friends. We found Mr. Sinclair to be a wonderfully warm and
generous person. He wanted us to work up more Camel songs for him to sit in and
sing with us! Imagine, "Song within a Song" and "Tell Me" with the man who sang
them on tour with Camel, Richard Sinclair, fronting JJKAS. What a treat that would
be!
