Influx focus

Influx has been playing at the Jazz Among the Grapevines concert series since the series began.

“We’ve had a blast,” said Jason McGlynn, the sax player in the band. “We played through a thunderstorm the first year and we’ve played the August gig every year since.”

Influx plays a wide array of jazz and blues. The band started out with seven or eight members, but in the last seven years, it stayed with four members — a sax player, a bass player, a drummer and a mandolin player.

“It’s a very different sound for a jazz combo,” McGlynn said. “The mandolin gives a very light, clean sound. It’s not as busy as a piano.”

The band is as likely to play Miles Davis as Duke Ellington or Van Morrison. The group plays a few original songs, too, but McGlynn says that with jazz music, the audience is usually more receptive to covers than original songs.

“We might go from some mellow, intricate piece to something that makes people get up and dance,” McGlynn said. “We do a combination because people want to do everything.”

Influx can accommodate either musical preference.

“This is a tough town to play jazz,” McGlynn said, which is why Jazz Among the Grapevines has become such a favorite venue for local jazz aficionados — who don’t often get to hear a live jazz band — and for the bands themselves.

The band has released two CDs, which it tries to have available at concerts. Donations are accepted for the CDs.

In addition to Jazz Among the Grapevines, Influx will also be appearing once a month at the Wine Country Inn.

What: Jazz Among the Grapevines
Where: Two Rivers Winery, 2087 Broadway, Grand Junction
Ticket prices $10 in advance at The Art Center or Two Rivers Winery, also $10 at the gate

June 21
Harmonica Jazz with Manny and the Walt Smith Trio
July 19
Bryan Savage
Aug. 16
Influx
*all concerts start at 7 p.m.