Officially formed in 1987, the band was later to select its current name, Fourth Estate, defined conceptually as, "a group of individuals outside normal governing powers, demonstrating an influence over people." Though, at its beginning, the group's individual members, Dave Beegle (guitar), Jim Iltis (drums), and Fred Babich (bass) were exploring various avenues of musical performance, the three friends found their occasional forays into instrumental rock passionately embraced by audiences. Realizing their inherent desire to express themselves in their own unique way, and not succumb as another statistic in favor of "formula rock," the band has since bravely forged new territories, and now find themselves thriving in the tasty expressions of progressive, instrumental rock.

The band's music is truly a rare blend, skillfully interweaving elements of Rock, Jazz, Metal, Fusion, Blues, Classical, and Funk. In contrast to the vast majority or modern rock, which offers a few layers of repetitive sounds that support a limited selection of moving parts, Fourth Estate cultivates a musical character that sees each element of the composition to be entirely as important as the next. Babich explains, "All of the instruments, as well as the composition, mood, and melody, are interfaced together in our music. It is a total marriage of sound. If any part is removed, it's like cutting off an arm or a leg; the entire structure is rendered a crippling blow."

The band's intellectual and instrumental approach however does not mean that their musical delivery is stuffy or anemic. Quite the opposite is true! Those who are privileged to see Fourth Estate live, are witness to the pursuit of excellence in musicianship, convincingly attired in some of the flashiest, most bombastic, most creative displays of sheer talent seen. Their unpredictable and searing performances are delivered in breath-taking, explosive, and stimulating Rock-Mental personality. The group sees its instrumental approach as a plus, and Beegle elaborates on this, "We believe it is to our benefit that we do not have vocals. It is often the case that a band's vocals acquire excessive attention and emphasis, frequently to the unfortunate compromise of the actual music itself. As Fourth Estate does not incorporate that vocal element, we find we must develop greater latitude and emphasis to that which remains. Consequently, our music has true substance; it must stand on its own and still gain the proper appreciation."

The individual members of this band stand among the elite in regards to talent and ability. Each of them individually, and together as a band, have received high acclaim by numerous critics, and have been specifically addressed by such worthy publications as Musician Magazine, Guitar Player, and Guitar For the Practicing Musician. Though each member is capable of mentioning in their respective musical pursuits, they speak of each other in glowing tones of respect and wonder. Of Beegle, drummer Iltis is quick to ex pond, "Dave is well-deserving of any attention he gets; his sheer and amazing talent is so rare. He displays an almost perfect blend of ability, versatility, and emotions. He's a most passionate guitarist that takes any idea and adds to it music and emotion. Without a question, Dave is going to be one of the all-time greats." Iltis continues, now about Fred Babich, bassist. "He simply has to be the most off-the-wall, individualistic bass player ever. He's literally an orchestra trapped inside a bass player's body. He takes a lot of unusual ideas and musically incorporates them. He's a total personality player, and a lot of the band's sound is due to his effective input. He stretches his instrument totally, and in any given song he may act as percussion or lead and rhythm guitar. He's like a one-man bass band." Dave and Fred practically trip over each other in their mutual admiration and respect for Jim Iltis, Fourth Estate's drummer extraordinaire. Says Babich, "Jim's easily the most gifted guy in the bunch; he's so advanced musically that he easily gets bored. he is very skilled at a lot of instruments, including bass, guitar, and keys. It would be a modest assumption to call Jim a veritable genius." Dave agrees, "He's a very musical drummer; he's able to achieve notation with the skins. Undoubtedly Jim instills a critical element to this group; a lot people have recognized Fourth Estate for its drum sound."

The most extraordinary and stunning talents and music of Fourth Estate will be dished out in unbridled finesse and fury this summer as the band plays a full evening performance at Cornerstone '91. As the Cornerstone festivals continue to lead in the acquisition and promotion of the new, unusual, and loud bands and artists, Fourth Estate will share its exciting excursions into hard-driving musical brilliance with an audience that will surely wither delightedly under the intensity, mastery, and authority of the band's art form.

Fourth Estate is most assuredly a study in future success. Already major labels and people are becoming a part of the picture. Until that first CD becomes reality however, the band has three excellent self-releases, the self-titled initial one, and the subsequent Edge of the Shaddow, and In Phase.

News Brief:

Dave Beegle, guitarist extraordinaire of Fourth Estate, is tentatively scheduled to perform a guitar clinic at Cornerstone '91, featuring the newly-patented guitar technology from TransPerformance Company. The actual guitar, which otherwise resembles a usual model, allows the performer instant access to greater than 100,000 altered tunings. Beegle, one of the company's artists/consultants, reports that the new guitar has already gained the attention of such guitar greats as Jimmy Page, Adrian Belew, Eddie Van Halen, and Eric Johnson.

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