Sometimes you  can  find a hidden  gem  right in  your  back yard.  Being  from  New Jersey  (USA), I  recently  discovered a fantastic  band  from a few towns  away.   This is their  story:

For the musicians and composers who comprise Advent, tradition is important. Whether drawing upon the accumulated experience of one's predecessors or simply separating the timeless from the transient, traditions are, in fact, indispensable. In order to draw upon them, however, one must first respect them.

The eclectic tastes which fire the imaginations of Advent have led its members to seek inspiration in sources ranging from music of the English and Italian Renaissance to church motets, from sea chanteys to film scores, and such progressive bands as Gentle Giant and Procol Harum. The group attempts to combine a contemporary sound with an extensive variety of influences solidly rooted in western musical sources, whether they be folk, classical-romantic, or popular. The group's material features lyrics ranging from the reflective to the mysterious, complemented by a descriptive "cinematic" musical style that, while not always danceable, recalls the drama and fire of music which has always called the listener to listen.

In short, Advent views its musical heritage as a legacy left to us by our forebears in love, for our appreciation and education—an essential ingredient for progress. It should thus be gratefully received and built upon in that same spirit.

ALAN BENJAMIN

guitars, Stick®, bass, mandolin, violin, keyboards, glockenspiel, recorder, backing vocals

A lifelong musician who first studied piano at age three, switched to violin several years later (playing in two New York City orchestras), and picked up several other instruments in between, Alan experienced his first serious encounter with the guitar at age 14 upon being prevented from bringing his violin to boarding school. Taking to the instrument quite naturally, he quickly formed the school's most popular rock band—Amber—who later went on to record a professional demo under the technical supervision of engineer Les Paul Jr.

Later that year, at age 16, Alan attended a semester at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. Impatient with the first-year curriculum, he left to seek experience in the real world, which soon led to an 18-month stint playing clubs in the Philadelphia-based band Merlin. In the late 1980s, Alan recorded several solo pieces (playing all instruments himself) and also received advanced guitar instruction from jazz-rock maestro Glenn Alexander. Shortly afterward, he met up with keyboardist Henry Ptak, and Advent was born.

In addition to maintaining a full-time commitment with Advent, Alan joined (the newly re-formed) Mirthrandir—one of the most highly respected independent progressive acts from the 1970s—in October of 2005. The band enjoyed three successful performances (a New Jersey Proghouse debut, followed by festival appearances at Baja Prog and RoSfest) in the first half of 2006, and hopes to play a number of other venues in the near future as well.

GREG KATONA

guitars, backing vocals

Greg started studying the guitar at age nine and shortly thereafter discovered two musical forces that were to shape the direction of his playing and listening for the rest of his life. "One was the music of classical guitarist Andrés Segovia, in which I began to see what the guitar could be in the hands of a virtuoso." The other was Genesis.

What followed was a period of voraciously consuming the music of other progressive bands such as Yes, Gentle Giant, ELP, Gryphon, and King Crimson (to name a few). Some time later came a fascination with classical music—especially that of Arnold Schönberg, Hans Werner Henze, and the post-WWII, avant-garde music of Gyorgy Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki—and, simultaneously, the jazz fusion of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. After years of private study, Greg enrolled in college and subsequently graduated magna cum laude with a BA degree in music from New Jersey City University as a classical guitar major.

"Alan Benjamin of Advent recently attended a performance of my Genesis tribute band, Foxtrot, and a week later I received a call asking if I would like to join Advent. After listening to their two wonderful CD releases, I quickly agreed!"

Greg teaches guitar at Monmouth Academy of the Musical Arts in Marlboro, N.J. Performance background includes classical solo, classical guitar-vocal duo, solo with orchestra, rock bands, and even a stint with a jazz big band.

HENRY PTAK

keyboards, lead vocals, mandolin, electronic percussion

Henry—keyboardist, composer/arranger, and co-founder of Advent—began his music studies at age nine, taking guitar lessons at the local music store. He switched to keyboards a few years later, having discovered Procol Harum and J.S. Bach at about the same time. His interest in composing and arranging was sparked largely by various artists (most notably, The Nice and Fairport Convention—as well as Dick Halligan and Fred Lipsius of Blood, Sweat and Tears) who, at this time, were busy uniting popular music with jazz, classical, and traditional folk-music forms.

While pursuing a fine arts degree, Henry continued his musical education—both on campus and privately—studying theory, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, 20th-century music, and piano. An interest in choral music also grew out of his involvement as a singer in the choir at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in his hometown of Hawthorne, N.J., and later as a member of Newark’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Choir.

Henry insists that his musical influences are too numerous to list ("anything worthwhile from the present all the way back to St. Gregory the Great"). His hopes for Advent are "to be wherever popular music is an outgrowth of the very best that western musical culture and tradition can offer."

MARK PTAK

keyboards, lead vocals, percussion

Mark is a 1990 graduate of the Berklee College of Music. While pursuing a major in Music Production & Engineering, and studying traditional theory and jazz harmony, Mark augmented his music-industry experience by taking on the role of production director for the ASCAP Award-winning New England Philharmonic Orchestra under music director and conductor Jeffrey Rink.

Mark also took time to develop his vocal skills by serving as a tenor in Berklee's Concert Choir, as well as singing liturgical music in Roman Catholic Church choirs in both Massachusetts and New Jersey. Soon after leaving Berklee, he joined up with Alan and Henry as Advent's second keyboardist.

Influential bands? Well, besides his "big three" (Gentle Giant, Genesis, and Procol Harum), Mark enjoys groups such as Ambrosia, The Tubes, Utopia, and Weather Report, though he does admit these days to listening to more "long-hair" music. In this world, his favorites include Bach (especially organ music), Schubert (piano music), Haydn (organ masses), and various works by Elgar, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, and Bartók. "What I really am attracted to, though (no matter what the style or genre), are musical ideas that sneak up on you and make you think—you know, like puzzles or word games. When a piece of music speaks to me in this way, I get a real charge out of it. Discovering it is almost like finding a buried treasure. And then, just like a Hitchcock movie, you almost wish you hadn't found it so you could go back and experience the suspense again."

BENJAMIN ROSE

fretless and fretted basses, backing vocals

Philadelphia-area native Benjamin Rose began playing bass at age 14 when his best-friend/drummer coerced him into playing for his band. Once Ben saw A Show of Hands he was hooked and soon co-founded Phenix (sic), a band that melded a strong CSN vocal influence with a healthy dose of Yes, Rush, and ELP.

Benjamin graduated with a BM in jazz performance from Temple University, where he successfully petitioned for the introduction of Afro-Cuban music into the curriculum. This sparked an intense interest in world music—particularly Afro-Cuban jazz, tango, and flamenco. After college he moved west to gain playing experience in a variety of adventurous settings, such as rock/jam/world group Naill & the Fern and live "drum'n'bass" artists Tanj. Other performance and recording credits include stints with platinum-selling Filipino artists Ogie Alcasid and Carol Banawa, Most Chill Slackmob, and Bay-area punk-swing phenoms, The New Morty Show.

"I am thrilled to participate in this music and look forward to a fruitful collaboration with this group of characters."

Lately, music by Cake, Bill Evans, Pablo Aslan, William Parker—and nouvelle-scene artists Thomas Fersen and Tryo—has been in heavy rotation. He is equally influenced by writers Neal Stephenson, Ursula Le Guin, and Rex Stout.

DREW SICILIANO

drums

Drew's fascination with the drums began around age 10 with the question: "Why does 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' make you want to walk like a chicken?" Growing up in North Babylon, N.Y., Drew spent his teenage years playing in rock bands in friends' basements and garages. Turning professional at age 20, he was part of the Long Island club scene for about 14 years (1976-1990), working with various rock, jazz, R&B, pop, and show bands—most notably, the pop groups Glass Garden, Gateway, and Rapture. Eventually growing disillusioned with the music business (particularly the funny clothes), he went back to school to study computer science, took a hiatus from playing, and moved his family to New Jersey in 1993.

After accumulating dust for a few years, Drew stumbled upon the weekly Wednesday night open mike at Bernie's Hillside in Chester, N.J., hosted by singer/songwriter Bill Kelly. "I was totally knocked out by the original music scene going on in the area and all these great local musicians." His inspiration restored, Drew became the house drummer at the open mike with Bill, and was a fixture at Bernie's for the next two years. The open-mike format provided the opportunity to meet a lot of great players, including keyboardist Len Mooney and guitarist Kevin Siebold. Drew went on to spend three years with Len and Kevin as a member of the jazz/jam-band Roamin' Gabriels. His playing can be heard on their debut CD, Smile.

Over the years Drew studied with classical percussionist Gil Brienes, Bernard Purdie, Jim Chapin, and (most recently) jazz great Bill Goodwin. His musical influences range from The Young Rascals to Keith Jarrett, with all the great rock, progressive rock, and fusion bands in between. Special mention goes to drummers Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and Roy Haynes.

Drew first heard Advent's music through a link from a musician's classified website. "I'd never heard anything quite like it. The music was so interesting and creative, with an amazing attention to detail. Almost like a world unto itself. I'm glad I decided to answer that ad and have the opportunity to be a part of it. Nice bunch of guys too."

On May  19, 2007  Advent  debuted their live performances  at the NJ Proghouse. There set  was  70 min. of excellent  prog and quite  remarkable  for  their  first  gig.  Greg  Katona  even   stayed to  see the second band Pinnacle.  Henry Ptak  handled most of the vocals,  and though the venue  was small (but packed),   the band was excited to perform and did so  with gusto and passion.

Biographies  courtesy of  Advent.