Monday Night Concert: Purim Quartet at the Oak Park Arms

The Monday Night Concert Series features the Purim Quartet’s Royal Jam Band at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The concert will highlight compositions for the Jewish holidays by band member Shimon Marcucci.

The compositions blend Jazz, Middle Eastern riffs and Indian ragas with steady rhythmic grooves and meditative introductory improvisations.

Oct. 6 is a few days after Yom Kippur and a few days before Sukkot. The theme of these Jewish holidays is happiness. On the first of these holidays people tend to look into themselves in order to acknowledge their highest nature, and near the final holidays, they give thanks with great happiness and dancing.

In much the same fashion, many of these compositions begin with a slower introduction in an Eastern style (Arabic, Indian raga or Jewish) and build toward a fast theme and variations in a happy mood. This process mirrors the progression of many Jewish holidays close together in late September and throughout October.

The Purim Quartet ensemble includes Mike Staron on bass, Rick Shandling on drums, Ray Coyle on the vibraphone and percussion, and Marcucci on saxophone.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay - a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information call 708-386-4040 or visit http://www.oakparkarms.com.