MT. VERNON — I spent last Friday evening interviewing and recording a new act to appear on the King City music scene.

“Doc Jones” is the moniker chosen by Josh Strothmann, Matt Antonik, Jake Schofield and Matt Redding. These four young men have only been playing together as a singular unit for the last four months.

The interview, which aired on the radio last Sunday night, provided insight into an act that began as a musical project known as The Numbers, featuring Strothmann, Redding and Marcus Lappin. All four current Doc Jones members were students together at Rend Lake College.

The group alternated sets last Friday with Moonbeam Lane at the Tavern on Tenth in beautiful downtown Mt. Vernon.

Moonbeam Lane guitarist John Metcalf, who has been performing since the late 1960s, has had some history with some of the members of Doc Jones. The band came together as a result of a musical production being staged at RLC. Metcalf had been asked to lend his musical expertise to the project.

“I was working with a group of music students down at Rend Lake,” said Metcalf. “They were all competent players. It was then that I got involved with Matt (Redding) and Josh. We kind of developed a friendship.”

A thread of that friendship included a common interest in the artist known for albums such as “Joe’s Garage” and the 1977 U.S. top-40 single, “Disco Boy.”

“We have a common appreciation for Frank Zappa. They very much responded to the complex rhythm that Zappa used, to create their own,” Metcalf said. “You’d have to ask them, but I’ll bet that they were surprised to find someone their grandpa’s age that likes Frank Zappa.”

Metcalf said that Doc Jones had some common talents when they were still forming.

“The original group at Rend Lake were all music students,” said Metcalf. “And almost every one of them played both keyboards and drums. They could all do that and they were all percussion-oriented. That is what has drawn Doc Jones together.”

Another accomplished local guitarist, Del Herbert, also has a Doc Jones connection. Herbert was there when Schofield was just beginning to learn how to play music.

“The best way to describe Jake is that he is a closet-musician,” said Herbert. “He’s just now coming out of the closet.”

Herbert said that 10 years ago, he and Schofield developed a relationship that was beneficial to the young musician.

“I don’t think that he had that many lessons,” Herbert said. “I know that there were a few lessons, but it was more of a seasoning and a mentorship. He kind of hung around with me for a while.”

Apparently Jake picked up a few things, because I can’t think of a better way to illustrate Mr. Metcalf’s and Mr. Herbert’s points than to just simply ask you to log on to the Musically Speaking Web site and hear Doc Jones for yourself.

I would like for all of the readers of the Register-News to circle a couple of upcoming dates in July in pen, not pencil.

On July 17, there will be a 5K run/walk at Veteran’s Park in Mt. Vernon to benefit Ashton Ilberry. Ashton has been diagnosed with diffused, non-Hodgekins, B-cell lymphoma. This is a rare type of cancer, with which there are effective treatments.

As of this writing, I have been informed that Ashton is feeling as normal as she could be. Her appetite is good and there is reason to believe that she could recover. The problem is that medical treatments in 2010 can be very expensive.

That’s why I urge you to help me with my latest project in any way that you can.

The entry fee for the 5K run/walk will be $20. Warm-up is at 7 a.m., and the run will begin at 7:30 a.m. You must be registered by July 16. All proceeds will benefit Ashton Ilberry. For more information contact the Tavern on Tenth in Mt. Vernon at 244-7821.

Then, on Friday July 23, a three-act, musical benefit will be held for Ashton at the Tavern on Tenth.

The Bradley Peters Band will get things started. Then Doc Jones will perform, followed by the evening’s final act.

Long-time King City drummer John Scrivner has assembled a band for the benefit show that he refers to as “Jam Sammich.”

Somehow, I just seem to know that John knows that you spell sandwich, s-a-n-d-w-i-c-h. Whatever.

And from the looks of the list of players involved, it’s not much of a reach to say that this act will most likely become a jam very quickly. A Jam Sammich. Imagine that!

Scrivner will be joined at the benefit performance by Ian Presswood, Daniel LeMay, Gerald Keene and Jake Schofield. An impressive line up.

Make plans now to come out and support this cause, as all proceeds will go directly to Ashton and her family.

Coming Attractions:

Saturday, June 26 - Whistle Pigs (Southern Illinois Bluegrass) at Tavern on Tenth; Loneoo (Rock) at the Crossing. Friday, July 2 - Daze of Darkness (acoustic rock) at Tavern on Tenth.

Saturday, July 3 - Green Lincoln (Fairfield rock ‘n roll) at Tavern on Tenth.

Friday, July 9 - Delta (Carbondale rock ‘n blues) at Tavern on Tenth.

Saturday, July 10 - Big Hurry and the Wait (Mt. Vernon rock ‘n roll) at the Tavern on Tenth; Monkey Finger at Tommy-T’s.

Sunday, July 11 - Ronnie Lee (acoustic) at the Genkota Winery.

Don’t forget to check out http://musicallyspeaking.mvn.net.

Enjoy this week’s radio show and please be careful out there.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! OR TEXT AND DRIVE!

The Illinois State Police are counting on it.

n Jack Clark is the host of Musically Speaking, a local radio program heard Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. on 102.1 WIBV.