Ball State University alumni Chris Piche and Brion Fickle didn't have any trouble coming up with a name for their bar a year and a half ago.
"My nickname is peach, and his is Fickle," co-owner Piche, who named the establishment, said.
The Fickle Peach resides in what used to be the O. W. Storer bank and has sponsored live jazz on Monday nights for nearly a year and a half.
While the building has a deceiving look from the outside - from its exterior it appears to be a simple, hole-in-the-wall bar - the interior offers a large flat-screen TV directly over the far wall and pool tables in the adjacent room along with cozy booths for more private conversation.
With a generous selection of beer and wine - and promises of a full kitchen to come - the Fickle Peach shows quite a lot of culinary promise.
The combo that played Monday night started off at four members; Timothy VanCleave on vibraphone, Will Frazier on bass, Paul Rhine on piano, and Charlie Owen on drums. But about half an hour into the show trumpet and flugelhorn player, Dave Jewett, walked in and joined the combo.
The band started with a laid back set of standard tunes with a dynamic sound, maintaining the mood while building upon the dynamics through each song. One of the standout features of the group is dedicated vibes player VanCleave, who returned to pursue a doctorate in performance at Ball State after playing vibes in college.
When asked about playing vibes VanCleave said: "When you turn the motor on and you see the fans in the resonators spinning people say 'is that thing on fire in there?'"
In the second half of their set, the combo really started feeding off one another and the small, excited crowd.
The peak of the performance was a heart-pounding rendition of Miles Davis' hit standard "So What." They started with a great bass lead by Frazier that broke into a round of soloing by everybody in the band. Jewett broke out the somewhat obscure flugelhorn for his sonorous ode to one of the great jazz trumpeters. Halfway through the horn Jewett, channeling the spirit of a feral jazz god, let loose a yell right as VanCleave and Rhine climax in their vibrant vibe/piano duet.
When all is said and done the Fickle Peach has found itself a tradition that is worthy of accolades.
Jazz night regular John Readmond said it best: "This place should be packed, shouldn't it?"
Check it outWhat: Weekly Jazz NightsWhen: 9 p.m. MondaysWhere: 117 E. Charles St.Online: http://www.myspace.com/ficklepeach
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