Robert Lamm (born Oct. 13, 1944) is an American pianist, singer, and songwriter from Brooklyn who co-founded the band Chicago in 1967. Discography: Skinny Boy (1974) Life Is Good in My Neighborhood (1993) In My Head (1999) Like a Brother (2000 • Beckley-Lamm-Wilson) Subtlety & Passion (2003) The Bossa Project (2008) Living Proof (2012)
Herbie Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz keyboardist who has been musically active since the late 1950s. Hancock was born in Chicago on April 12, 1940, the middle child of government meat inspector Wayman Edward Hancock and secretary Winnie Belle. Herbie was named after singer and actor Herb Jeffries. At age seven, […]
Donald Fagen (Jan. 10, 1948) is an American vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter from Passaic, N.J., who rose to prominence as the frontman and co-creative force behind Steely Dan during the 1970s. Discography: The Nightfly (1982) Kamakiriad (1993) Morph the Cat (2006) Sunken Condos (2012)
Chick Corea (June 12, 1941 – Feb. 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader with a six-decade career that spanned the early 1960s to the late 2010s. He emerged as a backing player for Mongo Santamaria, Sonny Stitt, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws, and Cal Tjader. As a solo artist, Corea […]
Bobby Caldwell (born Aug. 15, 1951) is an American blue-eyed soul vocalist and songwriter from N.Y.C. who released two albums on T.K.-subsidiary Clouds between 1978 and 1980, followed by a second pair of albums on Polydor in 1982/83. After a number of years behind the scenes, he issued six discs on Sin-Drome Records between 1989 […]
Ronnie Montrose (Nov. 29, 1947 — March 3, 2012) was an American guitarist who recorded four albums with namesake hard-rockers Montrose between 1973 and 1976. After debuting as a solo artist with the 1978 Warner Bros. release Open Fire, he cut three numerically titled albums with Gamma between 1979 and 1982. He resumed his solo […]
Meat Loaf (Sept. 27, 1948 — Jan. 20, 2022) was an American vocalist and actor with a career in entertainment that spanned more than half a century, starting in the late 1960s. In 1971, he released an album as part of the soul-rock duo Stoney and Meatloaf. During the mid-1970s, he played the role of […]
Kansas are an American symphonic/hard-rock band that released nine albums and a live double-LP on CBS-subsidiary Kirshner between 1974 and 1983, followed by a pair of late-’80s albums on MCA. Members: Rich Williams (guitar), Phil Ehart (drums), Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards, 1972-81, 1986-2014), Kerry Livgren (guitar, piano, synthesizer, 1972-83, 2000), Robby Steinhardt (violin, 1972-83, 1997-2006), […]
Santana are an American Latin-jazz/rock band from San Francisco, formed in 1966 by guitarist Carlos Santana. Members: Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals, 1966-72), Rod Harper (drums, 1966-67), Gus Rodriguez (bass, 1966-67), Michael Carabello (congas, 1966-67, 1969-71), Tom Frazier (guitar, 1966-67), Bob “Doc” Livingston (drums, 1967-69), David Brown (bass, 1967-71, 1974-76), Marcus Malone […]
Chainsaw Jazz was an American jazz-rock band that released the album DisConcerto on Cuneiform in 1993. Members: Mark Stanley (guitar), Christian Nagle (guitar), Mark Smoot (bass), Mark Gilbert (saxophone, clarinet), Ed Maguire (violin, electric mandolin), Paul Sears (drums) DisConcerto was released on Cuneiform Records (cat# RUNE 46) in 1993. It features 15 songs and a […]
Journey are an American hard-rock/soul band from San Francisco that released nine proper albums and a live double-LP on Columbia between 1975 and 1986. Members: Neal Schon (guitar), Ross Valory (bass, 1973-85, 1995-present), Gregg Rolie (vocals, keyboards, 1973-80), George Tickner (guitar, 1973-75), Prairie Prince (drums, 1973-74), Aynsley Dunbar (drums, 1974-78), Robert Fleischman (vocals, 1977), Steve […]
Al Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist who emerged in the jazz-rock supergroup Return to Forever, playing on the 1974–76 albums Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, and Romantic Warrior. As a solo artist, he’s issued more than 40 albums, starting with the 1976/77 Columbia titles Land of the […]
Walter Becker (Feb. 20, 1950 — Sept. 3, 2017) was an American guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and producer from Queens, best known as the co-creative force behind Steely Dan during the 1970s. Discography: 11 Tracks of Whack (1994) Circus Money (2008)
Toto are an American modern-rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1977 by prolific industry studio musicians. Members: Steve Lukather (guitar, vocals), David Paich (keyboards, vocals), David Hungate (bass, 1977-83, 2014-present), Jeff Porcaro (drums, 1977-92), Steve Porcaro (keyboards, vocals, 1977-89, 2010-present), Bobby Kimball (vocals, 1977-84, 1997-2008), Mike Porcaro (bass, 1983-2008), Fergie Frederiksen (vocals, 1984-86), Joseph […]
Todd Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and producer, originally from Philadelphia. He first emerged in psych-rockers the Nazz, which released two proper albums in 1968–69. He initially recorded solo under the band moniker Runt, issuing the 1970/71 Bearsville albums Runt and The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. Under his […]
Suzanne Vega (born July 11, 1959) is an American singer/songwriter from Santa Monica, Calif. Discography: Suzanne Vega (1985) Solitude Standing (1987) Days of Open Hand (1990) 99.9 F° (1992) Nine Objects of Desire (1996) Songs in Red and Gray (2001) Beauty & Crime (2007)
The Manhattan Transfer are an American vocal group from N.Y.C., formed in 1969 by swing enthusiast Tim Hauser. The original lineup, a five-piece with songwriter Gene Pistilli, issued one album of retro jazz and pop on Capitol in 1971. Hauser then recruited singers Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, and Laurel Massé, establishing the two man/two woman […]
Lindsey Buckingham (born Oct. 3, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer from Palo Alto, Calif. Discography: Buckingham Nicks (1973 • Buckingham Nicks) Law and Order (1981) Go Insane (1984) Out of the Cradle (1992) Under the Skin (2006) Gift of Screws (2008) Seeds We Sow (2011) Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie (2017 • […]
Bill Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter from Oakland who emerged as the frontman of the Sons of Champlin, a popular Bay Area brass-rock band that he led between 1965 and 1977. In 1978, he debuted as a solo artist with the album Single on Full Moon, followed […]
Boz Scaggs is an American vocalist, musician, and songwriter who emerged in the late-sixties incarnation of the Steve Miller Band and went solo with a 1969 Atlantic album. Between 1970 and 1988, he released eight albums on Columbia. His popularity peaked with the 1976–80 albums Silk Degrees, Down Two Then Left, and Middle Man. Scaggs […]
