JRL Incarnated with Trombone, Accordion and the Lap Steel

Last night JRL put on a whirlwind show prepared in one week's time. Jon was traveling through Goshen in order to reconnect with the newly minted Goshen College Songwriter's Collective, an organization he helped to kickoff with a workshop earlier this year. When Jon noticed the open Friday evening at The Electric Brew, he began scheming on who he could ask to sit in with him. This time the motley crew included Isaac Lederach on trombone, Kent Beck on accordion, Jerimae Yoder on lap steel, Michelle Milne on percussion, Kim Glick and Amber Butler on vocals. This ensemble brought rousing horns (a ten year dream come true for the artist) and swelling drones to support Jon's singer-songwriter prowess. While the arrangements were somewhat haphazard (with Jon often leaning over to whisper suggestions to Isaac midsong), they often came out something beautiful, almost accidental, and possibly, forever unique to that one evening. The discovery of these familiar songs incarnated in unfamiliar instruments made the evening delightful; mistakes infused with humor, taking a risk yields moments of surprise.