Professional Biographies James Calvin Johnson: Guitar, Vocals Jim is the creative genius behind Calvin James and Bad Influence. His musical career spans four decades, beginning with the Twin Cities most successful band of the 60’s, the Underbeats. Jim’s ability to write hit songs like Sweet Words of Love, Annie Do the Dog and Little Romance, combined with his uncanny knack for choosing the perfect covers to showcase the band’s style (Foot Stompin’, Route 66, Book of Love, Darling Lorraine, Shake It for Me) kept the Underbeats performing eight shows a week for nearly three years. While serving in the military, Jim released his first record under the name Calvin James, “Footsteps”. In 1968 he returned to the Underbeats and moved the band to Los Angeles. Under their new name, Gypsy, they became the house band at Whiskey A-Go-Go and later toured North America with the Guess Who. Johnson remained in L.A. for nearly thirty years, writing songs for several major recording artists including the Fifth Dimension and Ray Charles. His band, the Steamers, recorded many songs that were included in Universal Studios movies. All the while, Jim held onto his vision of the band Calvin James, writing songs that reflected his love of the blues, rhythm and blues and real rock and roll. Jim Johnson’s driving guitar and dynamic vocal versatility are the backbone of Calvin James and Bad Influence. The culmination of his vision features gritty Delta blues, soulful R&B, melodic love songs and can’t-sit-down dance tunes. He continues to mix original music with covers that compliment his unique style. James Calvin’s creation, Calvin James, is a “must feel” musical experience. Doni Larson: Bass, Vocals Doni was living in the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota neighborhood where Jim Johnson was honing his guitar skills. Jim asked him if he’d like to learn how to play bass and join his rock and roll band. Don picked up that four string and found he was a natural. As the founding bass player in the Underbeats, he helped catapult the group into the leading teen band in the upper Midwest. He was instrumental in holding the band together while Johnson served his stint in the Army and continued his association with the group when they moved to Los Angeles in the fall of 1968. Doni is credited with the updating of the Underbeats name to Gypsy, continuing to perform with this legendary classic rock group through their coveted house gig at Whisky A-Go-Go and Gypsy’s first recorded album with Metromedia in Los Angeles. Doni left the group in 1970 and moved to San Francisco, starting his own production company. After several years on the West Coast, he returned to Minnesota and continued to play music throughout the area. Doni joined Calvin James and Bad Influence after sitting in with the band during their second performance. It’s obvious to even the unskilled listener that he and Johnson have a special bond. They anticipate each others musical flow and create perfection. Bruce Pedalty: Keys, Vocals Bruce's introduction to music began in traditional ways: high school band and private piano lessons, but while in college he became involved in the "hot" Twin Cities rock band scene. He played piano and organ with local favorites The Lancers, The Accents, the Sages, and Blackwood Apology. Over the past 25 years his involvement in music has included several gigs with Rock Hall of Fame member Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Percy Sledge (When A Man Loves A Woman), blues legends Lowell Fulson and Big Jay McNeely, and playing on CD's with Nokie Edwards of rock legends "The Ventures", and with blues harp guru Mojo Buford, a Muddy Waters alumnus. Bruce has also been in bands that have been "the opening act" for The Greatful Dead, Spirit, Dr. John, Roomful Of Blues, and Duke Robillard. In the mid 90's, Bruce joined The Senders, Minnesota's preeminent swing and jump blues band. He was a full time member of the band for almost 4 years, and still gigs regularly with them. He, along with vocalist Charmin Michele, is on the Senders CD "Jumpin' Uptown", a popular dance CD with Twin Cities' swing dancers. Over the past few years, Bruce has been working with a variety of people and groups, including The Senders, jazz vocalist Dorothy Doring, contemporary jazz guitarist Boday, and most recently blues group Calvin James and Bad Influence. He also has been performing solo piano and duo or trio gigs throughout the Twin Cities. He has performed at The Dakota, Sophia in Riverplace, Jazzmine's, Santorini's, Club Ashe', and many other Twin Cities' venues. Glenn Graham: Tenor Sax, Vocals Glenn Graham has been playing professionally for over 22 years. He was born in Chicago and began his love of playing reeds with the clarinet when he was eight years old. Glenn says living in Chicago afforded him the opportunity to experience many of the blues greats who called the Windy City their home including Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Rodgers, Fenton Robinson John Lee Hooker, Lefty Dizz and Sunnyland Slim. Add The R&B style of Chuck Berry live to that impressive list of influences and you'll understand why he is pleased to be a member of Calvin James and Bad Influence. He relocated to the Twin Cities in 1992 and has honed his skills on tenor sax with a variety of headliners including Cornbread Harris, Joe Juliano, Willy Murphy and Don King. He has also played nationally with James Solberg, Dave Spector and Jack McDuff. Rounding Out the Ensemble... Calvin enjoys the support of additional players. Look for the following musicians to be featured at special performances. Jim Greenwell: Tenor Sax Jim started his career working with Midwest big band leaders like Dick Whitbeck and Stan Haugesag and eventually nationally-known people like Ralph Materie, Richard Maltby, Chris Montez, Donna Fargo, Sajid Khan, the Mills Brothers, Wayne Newton, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Doc Severinson. He played four years with Joey Strobel and the Runaways at George's in the Park in suburban Minneapolis. In England he worked with pub-rock band Slim Franklin, jazz/R&B singer Maggie Nicols, a rock musical with the young Pierce Brosnan, and recorded with Ironscyde, a Chicago/BS&T-style horn band. He has worked with R&B bands the Amazers and the Butanes Soul Revue, and with the Butanes toured with and backed many R&B acts such as Earl King, King Floyd, Tommy Ridgley, James Carr, Robert Ward, Johnny Copeland and Fenton Robinson. He has done blues work with Mojo Buford, Big Walter Smith, and the Cool Breeze Blues Band. In 1980, Jim joined the Lamont Cranston Band, recording eight albums with the band, including their claim to fame, "Upper Mississippi Shakedown", and that band is still his regular gig. Jim joined the Calvin James and Bad Influence ensemble in July of 2001. He quickly blended so completely with the rest of the group that you'd think he'd been there since the beginning. His jazz influences have expanded the sound to cater to the most sophisticated listener. Tim Belden: Keys, Vocals Tim was playing in bands long before his teens. He cut his first album at 13 and by 18 was playing at the Cabooze Bar on Minneapolis' West Bank once or twice a month.. By the following year Tim landed a road gig with Jimmy Brown, doing shows all around the five-state area. From 1976 to 1978 he played with "Fever", a Funk and Top Forty band, and then spent seven years with "The Raving Garbonzos", playing venues such as the Medina Ballroom and the Rockford House in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. In 1989, after three years as a contract player, Tim founded "The Red Snappers", playing New Orleans Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll for private parties and receptions. He also played a bit of Country music during that time with "The Ranchtones". Then in 1996 he gained International recognition when he joined "The Hillbilly Voodoo Dolls". Their CD "Hubba Hubba" sold well in Europe and they toured Belgium in the summer of 2000. Most recently Tim has been with the Alfalpha Males, a favorite country and oldies band in the Twin Cities, playing every Thursday night at the Medina Ballroom. He still finds time to devote to his own jazz band, "The Tim Belden Trio" and occasionally books a solo act as a lone piano man for private functions. With such a diverse background, Tim has found it easy to blend right in with the rest of the seasoned players of Calvin James and Bad Influence. He's a welcome addition to the line-up. Stan Kipper: Drums, Vocals Craig Gallas: Drums, Vocals Edgar Murphy: Drums, Vocals Edgar first experience playing drums came when he joined the Peter's Meats Drum and Bugle Corp in the early 60's. Many great drummers from the Minneapolis area got their hard driving style from their association with the Drum and Bugle Corp. Edgar graduated to backing up and opening for various entertainers in the 60's and 70's - Al Green, Sam and Dave, Bobby Blue Bland, The Impressions, The Temptations, The Who and B.B. King. His first regular band in the Twin Cities area was the Mystics, a very popular rock and soul band that traveled the same teen circuit as the Underbeats and Accents. His drumming style caught the attention of Danny Stevens and he joined Danny's Reasons about the time they played their house gig at a popular Minneapolis club, More Downstairs. In the late 70's Edgar toured nationally with The Inversion. He returned to Minnesota in the early 80's and started the band Rainbow with Billy Franze and Craig Horner. Then in the 90's Edgar began a 10 year stint with the Bob and the Beachcombers. Edgar brings that soulful "bottom" to the rhythm section of Calvin James and Bad Influence. His vocals add a touch of real Chicago blues to the mix. Merlin "Bronco" Brunkow: Tenor Sax Web Design and © 2002 Vito Rococo Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.