On a rainy Chicago night, Gregg Bendian brought his Interzone ensemble into the historic Schuba’s Tavern in the city’s Wicker Park area. The small hall was perfect for the mostly acoustic band. The sound was crisp and clear, and full of details. The band was touring in support of its recently released third CD, Requiem For Jack Kirby. Kirby was the famed comic book artist who redefined the art form with his work on the X-Men, Spider Man, The Fantastic Four, and many others. Bendian's comp

Sandip Burman's all-star ensemble blew a cross-cultural wind into Milwaukee's Shank Hall on a hot August night. Sandip (pronounced San-deep) is a master tabla drummer from Calcutta, India. He used his energy and charm to convince some of fusion's biggest names to take a chance on playing his Indian music. The band's line up is: drummer Steve Smith (Journey/Vital Information), violinist Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), harmonica and keyboardist Howard Levy (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), bass