Chicago band Garaj Mahal is difficult to classify.
The band, performing Friday at DG's Tap House in Ames, incorporates jam traditions with Middle Eastern and Indian influences. Bassist Kai Eckhardt and guitarist Fareed Haque also work with jazz musicians like John McLaughlin and Arturo Sandoval. Haque sees jam music as a logical extension of jazz.
"I think jazz is jam, it's really not different," Haque said from his home in Chicago. "I think what jazz originally had was lost when it was taken over by European promoters, festivals and concerts, and removed from its popular roots."
The jam band scene, Haque said, is simply people rediscovering music and its popular roots. "The reason it fits in so well is jazz is essentially finding its roots again through the jam band scene."
Each band member's eclectic musical roots helped diversify Garaj Mahal's sound. Haque's father is from Pakistan and his mother is from Chile, so Pakistani and South American music filled his home. Eckhardt has a history with Indian music, and keyboardist Eric Levy has a family history with Klezmer music.
"So much of world music is so serious, and sometimes a little dull," Haque said. "When you get to the real world of folk music, the roots of where world music comes from, it's integrated into life. That's a big part of what we try to bring to our music."
The band recently completed "More Mr. Nice Guy" and a second album is due out sometime in 2010. It's the first album recorded with the band's new drummer, Sean Rickman (original drummer Alan Hertz still works with the band, mixing the albums). Haque said Rickman brings more "funk rock energy" and "tighter sound, but greasier vocals" to the Garaj Mahal mix.
The ability to put out two albums in one year is due to all four band members being prolific songwriters. Haque said there could be more multi-album years in Garaj Mahal's future.
"Imagine four people writing a tune a month - that's 48 a year, or four albums worth," Haque said. "Even if we're not that creative, even at just one tune a month we're overflowing with material."
DG's Tap House music booker Matt Sinnwell started booking acts like Wookiefoot, Split Lip Rayfield and Family Groove Company this fall, drawing packed crowds to the 220-person venue.
"It's just a beautiful space, and we felt like there was a little bit of a hole in Ames for a certain type of band," Sinnwell said of jam bands. "We decided to see if we could go after a little bigger acts there."
DG's Tap House features live music every Friday and Saturday by touring bands and local (or formerly local) acts like Mr. Baber's Neighbors and Euforquestra. Garaj Mahal is one of the bigger acts booked so far, and Sinnwell just booked the Minnesota band Trampled by Turtles for a Feb. 25 show.
When asked about a dream show he would like to bring in, Sinnwell said that's already in the works.
"We're working on that - I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you," Sinnwell said. "We've got a couple offers for great acts next semester."
Garaj Mahal
When: 10 p.m. Friday
Where: DG's Tap House, 127 Main St., Ames
Cost: $10 in advance, $12 day of show.
Info: Go to iowatix.com.
