Quantum Mechanics Jazz: “Back In Time”

Come on out, tap your toes, and listen and remember as Ed Mikenas (console steel guitar), Andy Aeschbacher (bass), and Worth Proffitt (drums) play Western Swing and Early Jazz. Ticket price includes one free cup of coffee, water, or soda. Food is available for purchase from Baine’s Books & Coffee.

In addition to Western Swing and early jazz, Ed will showcase a couple of autobiographical tunes from circa 1972 that have relative meaning for today.

In their unique musical style, The Quantum Mechanics will explore the origins of Coffee and bring you some history, stories, trivia, and tales of the Coffeehouse. They will play the Blues, some Western Swing, a little Be-bop, and plenty of original tunes with a nod to Bach’s Coffee Cantata. You will also hear a swinging arrangement they call “A Round of Turkish Coffee” with apologies to Mozart.

Ed Mikenas (console steel guitar, etc.) came to Virginia from New York City where he had played for television shows such as “Saturday Night Live,” and at venues including Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the Apollo. He played in the pit for Grease, Pippin, Godspell, and The Magic Show on Broadway and was a musician and actor off Broadway with the La Mama Experimental Theatre. Ed is a multi-instrumentalist who has been the organist and choir director for Amherst Presbyterian Church since 2007. He taught bass at Radford University for 19 years. He is the jazz ensemble coach for Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg and is adjunct bass professor at the University of Lynchburg. Ed graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a BS in music education, and has a Master’s degree in Music Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, NYC.

Worth Proffitt (drums) is another multi-instrumentalist well known in the Amherst area playing blues with Dennis Johnson in Jump Street and previously as half of Proffitt & Sandige, both powerful acoustic blues duos. Worth studied blues with Mississippi blues heavyweight Lonnie Pitchford and North Carolina jazz legend, Brother Jusef Salim. Worth’s blues projects have received numerous awards, including: 1997 International Blues Challenge, Charlotte, NC (Jump Street) and 2004 International Blues Challenge, Sedalia, VA. Worth branches out into electric guitar territory as well, playing rock ‘n’ roll and electric blues with Bill Hudson, Jack Sutherland, Malcolm Dentler, Roy Slaughter. Larry Scott and others. He has been playing gospel guitar for two Lynchburg area churches since 1996: Saint Mark in Amherst and Saint Mary in Lowesville.

Andy Aeschbacher (bass) is a native of Buffalo, NY and a founding member of the Quantum Mechanics Jazz Trio who has played in Greater Lynchburg music groups including Quintana, Feng Sway, The MP3 Trio, Code Blue, Hill City Jazz, Laurabella Trio, The Introverts, Deanie Blues Band, The Dog Boys and Jimmy Rushing & the Prematures.