Nature's Table Collection

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Subject Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description

T-shirt and Sweatshirt Collection

Paper Records and Photographs

Audio Cassette Recordings



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Finding Aid for Nature's Table Collection, 1979-1999 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Elizabeth Hartman, Thornton Miller, and Somer Pelczar

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Collection Overview

Title: Nature's Table Collection, 1979-1999Add to your cart.View associated digital content.

ID: 12/9/144

Primary Creator: Nature's Table (1971-1979)

Extent: 4.25 cubic feet

Arrangement:

Textiles are arranged by date, with undated items following.

Paper and photographic records are arranged according to the original order of the materials.

Date Acquired: 08/17/2015. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Art, Bluegrass Music, Blues-rock music, Clothing and Textiles, Jazz, Local History, Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign, Restaurants

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Series 1 consists of t-shirts and sweatshirts highlighting Jazz and Rock performances that took place at the Nature's Table Restaurant in Urbana, Illinois. The t-shirts also highlight specific musical acts that performed at the restaurant including the Catfish and Carter Band and the Sorgum Quartet. In addition many of the t-shirts contain images of healthy foods and vegetables highlighting the restaurant's mission to serve natural and healthy foods. The textiles were collected by Jeff Machota.

Series 2 consists of records pertaining to Nature's Table as a restaurant (cookbooks, recipes, business records, health evaluations, and food supplies) and as a music performance venue. The latter category includes concert schedules, flyers, performer and band photographs, appointment books, set lists, and the promotional material and biographies of many artists including Tony Brown, Herb Ellis, Kristin Lems, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, and Guido Sinclair. This series also includes digital audio recordings and images. These materials were donated by Jeff Machota and Sean Kutzko.

Biographical Note

Nature's Table was a small health food restaurant and jazz club in Urbana, Illinois, that was operated by Terry Masar from 1979 to 1991. It was located on Goodwin Street across from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to providing customers in the local and campus communities with reasonably priced meals, inside the restaurant patrons could attend live shows and also view and purchase art produced by local artists.  Featuring live performances by many local and regional bands, the restaurant created a lively environment for budding new musicians and artists.  Nature's Table was known for attracting nationally recognized jazz artists, such as Von Freeman, Herb Ellis, Richard 'Groove' Holmes, Peter 'Madcat" Ruth, and Jon McNeil, who frequently performed there. It was also considered a home for many local jazz, blues, alternative rock, and bluegrass ensembles, including a young Alison Krauss. Nature's Table was built on campus property, and in 1991 the university forced the closure of the restaurant and venue to make way for a new Chemical and Life Science Lab building.  Numerous reunions of the Nature's Table staff and the artists who frequently played there took place after its closing until Terry Masar passed away on October 23, 2011.

Subject/Index Terms

Art
Bluegrass Music
Blues-rock music
Clothing and Textiles
Jazz
Local History
Popular Music--Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
Restaurants

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals: Reel to reel recordings were donated to the Center by Paul Mueth February 27, 2019.

Acquisition Source: Donated by Jeff Machota and Sean Kutzko

Acquisition Method: Gift.


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: T-shirt and Sweatshirt Collection, circa 1987],
[Series 2: Paper Records and Photographs, 1979-1999],
[Series 3: Audio Cassette Recordings],
[All]

Series 2: Paper Records and Photographs, 1979-1999Add to your cart.
Box 5Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Cookbook, 1990Add to your cart.
Folder 2: Jazz Posters (1 of 2), undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Jazz Posters (2 of 2), undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 4: Concert Schedules and Flyers (1 of 12), 1991Add to your cart.
Folder 5: Concert Schedules and Flyers (2 of 12), 1990Add to your cart.
Folder 6: Concert Schedules and Flyers (3 of 12), 1989Add to your cart.
Folder 7: Concert Schedules and Flyers (4 of 12), 1988Add to your cart.
Folder 8: Concert Schedules and Flyers (5 of 12), 1987Add to your cart.
Folder 9: Concert Schedules and Flyers (6 of 12), 1986Add to your cart.
Folder 10: Concert Schedules and Flyers (7 of 12), 1985Add to your cart.
Folder 11: Concert Schedules and Flyers (8 of 12), 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 12: Concert Schedules and Flyers (9 of 12), 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 13: Concert Schedules and Flyers (10 of 12), 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 14: Concert Schedules and Flyers (11 of 12), 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 15: Concert Schedules and Flyers (12 of 12), 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 16: Set Lists, 1981-1987Add to your cart.
Folder 17: Performer and Band Photographs, 1983-1994Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes photographs of David Liebman, Ron Dewar, and Jeff Stiley [sic]
Folder 18: Biography of Guido Sinclair, 1983-1994Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 19: Art Exhibit Flyers, 1983-1985Add to your cart.
Folder 20: Food Menus and Advertisements, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 21: Appointment Book (1 of 6), 1989Add to your cart.
Folder 22: Appointment Book (2 of 6), 1988Add to your cart.
Folder 23: Appointment Book (3 of 6), 1987Add to your cart.
Folder 24: Appointment Book (4 of 6), 1985Add to your cart.
Folder 25: Appointment Book (5 of 6), 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 26: Appointment Book (6 of 6), 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 27: Set Lists, 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 28: Health Evaluations and Meetings, 1984Add to your cart.
Folder 29: Cookbook, 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 30: Equipment Manuals and Receipts, 1979-1982Add to your cart.
Folder 31: Phone Numbers, Addresses, and Email Addresses, ca. 1980 - 1999Add to your cart.
Folder 32: Chris's Original Cookbook, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 33: Daily Cleaning Jobs, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 34: Recipes Cookbook, 1982Add to your cart.
Folder 35: Food Supplies, 1995Add to your cart.
Folder 36: Cookbook - Copy, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 37: Promotional Photographs, Contracts, and Flyers, 1981-1987Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes materials of Tony Zamora Jazz Quartet, John McNeil, Homesick James, The Joel Spencer Quartet, Kristin Lems, Spaceship Love (Sam Thomas and Maja Rios), Jack Weber, Richard Arnold "Groove" Holmes, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, Tony Brown, Herb Ellis, John Fahey, and Brian Lynch
Folder 38: Promotional Photograph, Herb Ellis, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 39: Peter "Madcat" Ruth Biography, ca. 1981Add to your cart.
Folder 40: Kristin Lems Promotional Materials and Photographs, 1979-1982Add to your cart.
Folder 41: Tony Brown Promotional Materials, ca. 1983Add to your cart.
Folder 42: Promotional Materials and Biographies of Various Artists (1 of 3), ca. 1982-1984Add to your cart.
Includes materials of Brother Jack McDuff, George T. Freeman, Richard "Groove" Holmes, The Persuasions, Brian Lynch, Norace Silver, No Guitars, and Bill Kirchner
Folder 43: Promotional Materials and Biographies of Various Artists (2 of 3), ca. 1983-1985Add to your cart.
Includes materials of Hal Russell, Peter "Madcat" Ruth, Spaceship Love ("Bebop" Sam Thomas and Maja Rios), Tony Zamora Jazz Quartet, Michael Weiss, and Jack Wright
Folder 44: Promotional Materials and Biographies of Various Artists (3 of 3), ca. 1985-1987Add to your cart.
Includes materials of L.C. Roby, Jim McNeely, Nadene Steinhoff, Catfish Keith, The Essential Trio, Tony Brown, Kristin Lems, John Fahey, and Jeff Kaye and the Jazz Prophets
Folder 45: Promotional Photographs of Various Artists, ca. 1984Add to your cart.
Includes materials of Thrust, Rhythmic Union, The Persuasions, Guido Sinclair, George Freeman, Joel "The Mole" Spencer, Brad Wheeler, Mike Kocour, Kent Eanes [sic], NY Bebop Quartet, Groove Holmes, and Peter "Madcat" Ruth
Folder 46: Article about Dave Brubeck and Peter "Madcat" Ruth, 1980Add to your cart.
Folder 47: Fliers and Sketches, 1980-1985Add to your cart.
Includes sketches of Rob Dewar, Mike F., M. Foster, Holiday, Bill Sussman [sic].
Box 6Add to your cart.
Item 1: Community Recycling Center Award, 1986Add to your cart.
Item 2: Bar Tap, undatedAdd to your cart.
Box 7Add to your cart.
Folder 1: Flyer Transparencies, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Folder 2: Cookbook Materials, undatedAdd to your cart.
Folder 3: Flyers, undatedAdd to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes Flyers for the Arts Coalition Gallery, Festival of the Performing Arts, and the Jack Webb Jazz Band; and the schedule for First Nature's Table Jazz Festival.
Folder 4: Spacialism by Harold Schwann and Chiree St. Cyr, 1975Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Champaign, Illinois: Paradigm Publishing.
Folder 5: Sketches and Flyers (1 of 4), circa 1980Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes flyer for Nature's Table New Orleans Theme 4th of July Party featuring the Jack Webb Band, Bayou's Barry's Going Away Party, poetry reading with Arnold Wohlman, Estror [sic] Dinaire (poet), and Pablo Proveda (guitar); and a sketch of Terry.
Folder 6: Sketches and Flyers (2 of 4), circa 1980-1981Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes photograph of Kristin Lems and Guido Sinclair; and a sketch of Sal Martirano, Ray Sasaki, and Morgan Powell by Shelly.
Folder 7: Sketches and Flyers (3 of 4), circa 1980Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Includes sketches of Tracy Campbell, Lin Haliday, "Sol," and Jack Webb; and a flyer for a poetry reading by Arnold Wolman.
Folder 8: Sketches and Flyers (4 of 4), circa 1980Add to your cart.View associated digital content.
Contains sketches by Shelly Mason including sketches of Jay Bee, Bill, Brent, Buff, Mr. Choles, Debb, Tom Hayes, "Karen," Alan L., Mack, Paul Megida, Paul, "Ron," Stacy, Don Thea, and Jack Webb's Jazz Band.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: T-shirt and Sweatshirt Collection, circa 1987],
[Series 2: Paper Records and Photographs, 1979-1999],
[Series 3: Audio Cassette Recordings],
[All]

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