And so the story goes...

Conjunction Junction was formed in September of 1989 in Saratoga Springs, NY. The original lineup included Evan Cushing on bass, Doug Zimmerman on guitar and Jamie Janover on drums. The band members combined a mutual love for the Grateful Dead as well as progressive music such as Rush, Yes and Jeff Beck.

The earliest CJ music was instrumental, consisted mostly of covers, and had a distinctly heavy metal edge. Evan penned the group's first original, the cleverly titled "The Original" in October of 1989. The piece consisted of several complex instrumental passages, and challenged the group's ability to learn and play complicated music. The original trio played only one show, on October 9, 1989 at Skidmore College.

In November of 1989, the three original members were joined by Chris Coughlin on keyboards and vocals. Chris brought several elements to the band. The addition of vocals allowed the group to perform more fully realized songs by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers and Santana. His keyboards filled the spaces in what had previously been a very sparse, angular sound. This incarnation of the band played only one show, a Birthday Party for a 9-year old and his friends.

At the end of 1989, Jamie Janover left for a semester in Australia. The vacant drum seat was filled by virtuoso drummer Frank Heiss. Frank's technical skill and enthusiasm allowed the group to explore new levels of musical sophistication, learning tunes by Rush, King Crimson and Mahavishnu Orchestra. This quartet played only one show, then Chris Coughlin left the band to pursue other musical projects.

The trio of Evan, Doug and Frank continued the Conjunction Junction story, once again as an instrumental trio. This incarnation played very tight, loud, complex instrumental music and, you guessed it, played only one show.

Probably the most significant personnel change occurred in April of 1990, when keyboardist/vocalist Matt Wilcox joined the band. Matt brought a strong singing voice, vintage keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes electric piano and Hammond organ, and a songwriting style that introduced smoother textures and deeper grooves to the band's sound.

Matt also had a business and promotional savvy that the band had previously lacked, which is why this incarnation of Conjunction Junction is the only one to have played more than one gig. Many more. The band finally escaped the Skidmore College campus to play in bars in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Another significant event from this period was the addition of Phish songs to the band's repertoire. All four CJ members had become entranced by the unique sound of the Vermont quartet, and it was a huge thrill to recreate some of the favorite compositions of their new heroes. This increased the band's skills in all areas: ability to groove, ability to play very complex time signatures, 3- and 4-part vocal arrangements and free improvisation.

No sooner had the band begun to cover Phish tunes than they were invited to open a show for Phish at Skidmore College. This was a thrill and a challenge, and exposed Conjunction Junction to a large stage, larger sound system, and a 1000-person audience.

The end of 1990 and beginning of 1991 were filled with many gigs, both on- and off-campus. Also during this time, both Frank and Doug developed tendon problems in their forearms, from playing too fast, too hard, for too long. They both continued to play in the band, but avoided rehearsals and worried their way through gigs. In May of 1991, Doug and Evan both graduated from Skidmore, which caused another period of questioning for the band. Evan had been studying flying throughout his college years, and decided to leave Saratoga to become a pilot.

The band made a half-hearted attempt to continue, playing with one or two new bassists, but the momentum had been lost. Matt and Frank became involved in a new project, a funk and hip-hop group called Dig. Doug's tendinitis caused him to stop playing music entirely for 2 1/2 years, after which he was able to resume.

And where are they now ???

Evan Cushing is still a pilot, on Cape Cod. He plays casually in a couple of bands in his spare time.

Doug Zimmerman is a graphic designer. He does solo improvised performances of guitar and piano.

Jamie Janover is a successful full-time musician, playing solo hammered dulcimer and with his band, Zilla.

Chris Coughlin currently plays in the Kieran Ridge Band.

Frank Heiss is a web developer and electronic musician living in Astoria, NY.

Matt Wilcox is a studio engineer and musician living in Manhattan.