The Jason Caplan Quartet, one of the most successful popular-music bands in Yeshiva history, will be playing two Saturday-night shows in the Village this month. The shows, which are JCQ's first of the school year, are highly anticipated by many in Yeshiva. Says one SCW junior, "JCQ play a rocking-good show, and I can't wait to see them play again."

For their first show, on November 10th at Kenny's Castaways, JCQ will be downsized to play in the "power-trio" form, consisting of Caplan on guitar, YC junior Jesse Asher on bass, and Rutgers Jazz MFA candidate Kevin Frey on drums. Caplan notes, "the power-trio form allows for more improvisation, beginning with a musical concept that we've all practiced and understand, and seeing where it goes." Asher sees their musical improvisation as particularly special, saying, "I think we all try to play from our hearts, from inside." Caplan will be lecturing on improvisational music for Manhattan Jewish Experience later this year.

Their second show, on November 17th at The Elbow Room, will feature the full quartet, which includes Joe Klein on saxophone, as well as a special guest horn section. Caplan sees the fact that the band is experimenting with new musicians, as well as playing Saturday night shows - which are very hard for a young band to come by - as signs that the group is "taking some new turns." Caplan hopes that the group can expand further by "increasing the number of venues we play," and "letting our audience hear more of our new songs." JCQ is also printing full-color posters for promotional purposes.

JCQ has been an interesting success story of Yeshiva's talent succeeding on New York's cultural fringe. Asher says that he gets the most satisfaction in knowing that "we've had the opportunity to take music that was created in YU's scene and bring it beyond the campus."

Overall, the band continues to explore new sounds and ideas. "Part of what we're attempting is being able to communicate with everybody there," explains Asher, "and that can mean incorporating new styles." Caplan lists "funk, bluegrass, and reggae" as some of the more obvious styles that the band adopts, and says that they might explore the possibility of adding a vocalist, "so long as they also play an instrument."

The band does have limits, though. Asher notes that while he's "open to the idea of wearing wristbands," he is "not interested in doing any superficial music videos."