Jim Kanas Trio will perform at Princeton Coffeehouse

PRINCETON — Jim Kanas, consummate jazz and folk guitarist, will perform with the Jim Kanas Trio at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Princeton Coffeehouse.

As a teenager growing up in northern Illinois, Kanas studied classical music and jazz improvisation. Through educational and other venues, he found himself in the company of many jazz performers and educators, including Pat Metheny, George Benson, Gary Burton and Stan Kenton.

Kanas has won consecutive awards as a jazz guitarist in the Chicago area. He also regularly performs bluegrass, folk and western swing. He earned a unique interdisciplinary music performance degree from Northern Illinois University in contemporary guitar skills, commercial music and American folk instruments. His performance instruments include the pedal steel guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, mandolin and dobro.

Praise for Kanas’s musical gifts is wide ranging. “In Jim Kanas ... Doc Watson peacefully coexists with Joe Pass,” according to Pat Donahue, guitarist with A Prairie Home Companion. “Creating a distinct personal style from such disparate influences isn’t easy to do. Jim pulls it off with aplomb.” Corky Siegel says of his “beautiful guitar work” that “Jim Kanas has become his instrument.”

In addition to touring widely as a musical performer, Kanas is a music educator. He travels to schools and cultural venues around the state as an artist-in-residence through the Illinois Arts Council. Setting a multicultural tone and bringing a wide variety of instruments into the classroom, Kanas is passionate about connecting students and teachers to the rich historical and cultural tradition of folk music.

To support local families in need, the Princeton Coffeehouse encourages those attending the Nov. 28 performance to bring a non-perishable item (canned goods, crackers, paper products, etc.) to be contributed to the Bureau County Food Pantry.

The Princeton Coffeehouse is located at the Open Prairie UCC Church, 25 E. Marion in downtown Princeton. The venue is completely accessible and there is ample free parking. Admission is $10 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Fair trade coffee, tea, and homemade desserts are available. The Princeton Coffeehouse offers traditional and modern folk, blues and bluegrass music, monthly September through May. For more information, visit www.theprincetoncoffeehouse.com or call (815) 872-6501.