ALI BABA'S TAHINI is a popular South Bend, IN, power trio formed in 1998 by KARL ENGELMANN (vocals, bass, sitar), JAKE CINNINGER (vocals, guitar), and STEVE KROJNIEWSKI (drums). The band dabbled in several styles of music, including hard rock, jazz, progressive, folk, reggae, blues, and more. The band quickly developed a large fanbase in the midwestern United States due mainly to their energetic live performances. For many of their early shows, the band featured an up and coming UMPHREY'S McGEE as their opening act. In 1999, they released the critically acclaimed "Hopi Champa" album as their fanbase continued to swell. However, the original lineup was altered soon thereafter as Karl Engelmann left the band to pursue outside projects. He was replaced by a longtime friend of the band, KAHLIL SMYILE. With the depatrue of Engelmann (one of the band's main songwriters), Jake Cinninger's compositions were featured front and center on the band's second album "Limbo Boots," released in 2000. By the summer of that year, Cinninger disbanded Ali Baba's Tahini to join Umphrey's McGee, and the rest is history as Umphrey's have become one of the country's most popular and respected live bands. Smylie went on to form the SQUIRM ORCHESTRA with Brett Padgett. Four years after the breakup, in 2004, the original lineup of the Ali Baba's Tahini reunited (sans a one-off reunion concert in 2003) in the North Carolina mountains to record their first album of the new millennium, "Rockstars and Lawnmowers." After a year of production, engineering, and mixing by Cinninger, the album was finally released in 2005. Just three months later, Engelmann formed MOTHER VINEGAR, a hard rock band centered in Asheville, NC, that, along with Umphrey's McGee, helps keep the Ali Baba's Tahini concert catalog alive today. STEVE KROJNIEWSKI is currently drumming with HOODOO GROOVE, a five-piece group featuring drums, saxophone, trumpet, guitar, and bass. He also plays with a African drumming group called RHYTHM WORKS and has
been teaching yoga for two years now (www.truebalanceyoga.com). In 2006-2008, Jake, Karl (now on guitar), Krojo and new members JEFF HINKLE (bassist for Mother Vinegar) and Justin W. Powell (keyboards Vertigo Jazz Project, John Wasem Band, Land of Atlantis) have recorded a new album of material in Niles, MI, to be released in spring of 2009. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for upcoming tour dates!
