Old Santa Fe Band to close out Jackson Homcomers

Jackson Homecomers is in its final few days, and soon the rides will shut down and crowds will go home, full of cotton candy. But Saturday evening, the event's main music act will take the stage, hoping to tell you a few stories.

The Old Santa Fe Band is known for mixing traditional bluegrass songs with new tunes written by the members themselves. The band got its name from Santa Fe -- not New Mexico, but a small settlement along the Mississippi River in the 1800s and currently known as Fayville, Ill. The group is Mark Glaab on guitar and vocals, Lisa Glaab (Mark's wife) on guitar and vocals, Jim Nicholas on mandoline and vocals, Zac Caldwell on the upright bass and Doc Prosser on banjo, guitar and vocals. Prosser said his affinity for both traditional and contemporary bluegrass goes back to his childhood.

"We all have had bluegrass in our blood since we were old enough to pick up instruments," Prosser said. "For me, it was the stories I heard in the music. It wasn't something cheap or forgettable. Here I am now, writing those stories myself."

Caldwell said each band member's versatile musical tastes and life experiences come together and take center stage in their songs and performances.

"We are labeled mostly as a bluegrass band. But it would be hard to pinpoint two or three main influences on our music," said Caldwell, who also plays with Cape Girardeau band the River Cats. "We've got members who favor country, some with rock roots, and a few of the guys were even in a barbershop quartet some time ago. The thing is we don't have much trouble bringing these styles together and making original music."

Playing in western Kentucky, Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri for 13 years, the group has opened for touring bluegrass acts Larry Cordle, Blue Highway, Josh Williams, Special Consensus, Mark Newton and J.D. Crowe. And they aren't new to the big stage, playing the Dogwood-Azalea Festival in Charleston, the Carson Center in Paducah, Ky., and the Illinois State Fair in Du Quoin, Ill. Homecomers director Wendy Hayes said she jumped at the chance to bring in experienced and local talent.

"We were very excited to come across these guys. This is the kind of act we love to feature at Homecomers -- local and original," Hayes said. "We've had a variety of bands in our history, both local and touring. But we love it when we can book something local. On top of that, we're talking about a very skilled group of musicians."

Caldwell said taking the stage at Homecomers is a no-brainer.

"When I got word of it, I was immediately excited. We've played so many different spots, but Homecomers has been a big deal in this area for a long time," Caldwell said. "It's always nice to play close to home, but it's an honor to be a part of this tradition."

To date, Old Santa Fe Band has released three albums. The band's last two CDs, "Iron Mountain Line" from 2003 and "Journey On" from 2005, were recorded in downtown Cape Girardeau at Sunrise Recording Studio. But Prosser says the band focuses more on the live experience, and thinks Homecomers patrons will leave Old Santa Fe's performance feeling good.

"We haven't stayed together as a band together for 13 years on accident. We are just a group of close friends that gets together and has a bunch of fun," Prosser said. "We've played together so long that it just flows naturally for us. But we don't just play the same thing over and over again, and that's where I think some bluegrass bands go wrong. We always keep it fresh. We're constantly bringing new songs to the audience. Music from the heart and soul; that's what you can expect from us."

The Old Santa Fe Band will close out the Homecomers festivities, performing from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the main stage in front of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. For more information about Homecomers, visit jacksonhomecomers.com. For music and more information about the Old Santa Fe Band, visit oldsantafeband.com.

jsamons@semissourian.com

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