Nature's Table was a whole food restaurant and live music venue in Urbana, Illinois from the 1979 until May, 1991.

Third Annual Nature's Table scheduled for Friday, 7/24/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeff Machota
Cell: 217/722-8601
Email: thetable@naturestable.net

7/01/2009

IRON POST TO HOST NATURE'S TABLE 2009 REUNION CONCERTS

Performances in Downtown Urbana to Feature Jazz Artists from
Music Venue's Past

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The third annual Nature's Table reunion is scheduled to be held Friday,
July 24 at The Iron Post in Urbana, Illinois.

Nature's Table was a whole food restaurant and live music venue in
Urbana, Illinois from the 1979 to 1991. The restaurant featured live
music seven nights a week, including an eclectic mix of jazz, folk,
blues, bluegrass, and experimental music. Besides providing a space for
local acts, Nature's Table also featured national touring artists.

When the University of Illinois reclaimed the property in 1991, the
community lost a unique local resource.

Terry Masar, former owner of the restaurant, felt that the time had come
to reunite some of the artists who had performed at the venue many years
ago, and in 2007 organized the first reunion concert in Champaign.

This year's reunion event is being held at The Iron Post in downtown
Urbana, the venue most actively hosting jazz in the Champaign-Urbana
community for the past several years.

"Based on the success of last year's reunion, we think this year's event
will be even better," Masar says.

Jeff Helgesen, featured performer at this years event and former Nature's
Table mainstay, says, "This year we are featuring a tribute to the music
of local jazz trumpeter/composer John 'Doc' Scott, who performed regularly
at Nature's Table and wrote some amazing compositions.  Chicago tenor
saxophonist Kevin Kizer will be coming to the event to lead an all star
band performing Doc's compositions."

Jeff Machota, former Nature's Table employee, says, "This year's event
closes with a reuniting of some of the players from Jeff Helgesen's
late-80s quintet. From Chicago, tenor sax player and former Ray Charles
alum with Helgesen, Scott Frillman will fill out the front line. Holding
down the back line, will be drummer Danny Deckard from Bloomington,
Indiana. Should be a great closer for another reunion."

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SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Friday, July 24

5:00-7:00   - The Woody Woodward Organ Trio
              * Woody Woodward (organ)
              * Randy Salman (saxophone)
              * Steve Adelman (drums)

7:30-9:30   - Kevin Kizer's Tribute to Doc Scott
              * Kevin Kizer (saxophone)
              * Tito Carillo (trumpet)
              * Jeff Helgesen (trumpet)
              * Chip Stephens (keyboard)
              * Chris Nolte (bass)
              * Dan Deckard (drums)

10:00-??    - Jeff Helgesen and Friends featuring Scott Frillman and Dan Deckard
              * Jeff Helgesen (trumpet)
              * Scott Frillman (saxophone)
              * Shawn Purcell (guitar)
              * Ed Schaller (bass)
              * Dan Deckard (drums)

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Admission will be $8.

Additional information is available at the following website:

http://www.naturestable.net/


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If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule
an interview, please call Jeff Machota at 217/722-8601 or e-mail
thetable@naturestable.net.

The Iron Post is located at 120 South Race Street in Urbana,
Illinois.

Do you have a Facebook account? Visit the Facebook event page for the 2009 Nature's Table Reunion.

Blasts from the past . . .

• Pictures!
• The schedule. A work in progress.
• The menu. Mmmmm.
• Jazz Threads page on Nature's Table
• Remembering Nature's Table in Urbana - From WILL-TV's premiere episode of "Prairie Fire", aired 4/9/1992