Biography
Jake & Elwood
Bob Balayati & Mike Venier have been paying tribute to the original Blues Brothers together since 1996. Prior to forming Shades of Blue as the Ultimate Blues Brothers Tribute, Bob had been playing harmonica and singing in Rock, Blues, and Country bands throughout northern Illinois for over 30 years. His distinct style of harp playing compliments all types of popular music. With all this experience behind him he is a natural to play the part of "Jake Blues".
Mike began his entertainment career at birth when (while screaming at the top of his lungs) he did a perfect back flip off of the birthing table and stuck the landing right into the Doctors arms. Following the short acrobatic career he moved on to star in his families Sunday night variety show called "The Big Show". From there he graduated to the drum kit where he was drummer and lead vocalist for some of the best unknown bands in the state. He formed a band called "The Blues Cousins". Their debut gig just happened to fall on the night of John Belushi's death...Whoa! Mike loves Chicago, the Blues, dry white toast and he's a Catholic...emulating Elwood Blues is meant to be.
Together Mike and Bob, big fans of the Blues Brothers themselves, set out to recreate the experience of seeing the original Blues Brothers live and we think after seeing the show you will agree that they have succeeded.
Patti Balayti
Patti Balayti has been singing all of her life. Even as a small child she would sing harmony with her sisters at community events. From there Patti went on to sing with numerous rock and blues bands throughout northern Illinois. Patti is a lover of jazz standards and in addition to her work in "Shades of Blue" she has been a featured vocalist with a variety of jazz orchestras in the Chicagoland area.
Kevin "Deuce" Cinadr
Kevin (the Silver Fox) Cinadr was born and raised in the Quad Cities. Just like the original Blues Brothers, he began his trumpet career in the 3rd grade educated by nuns and his love for music was reinforced by their ever present yardstick! Kevin began playing with local Big Bands at the tender age of 13. He was educated on the road and learned to decline most drink offers by the older women (21+) who frequented their gigs. Kevin has always had a passion for playing jazz and the blues, and after high school, played and toured the U.S. with several college jazz bands until they realized he wasn't actually enrolled in the schools he played for! Over the years, his music has been influenced by trumpet greats, Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen and Wayne Bergeron. Kevin's day job is a journeyman lineman with the Mid American Energy Company, where he builds and maintains high voltage lines. When he lines up with the Lake Shore Horns, he maintains high voltage trumpet lines!
Ron Cinadr
Ron "Evans" Cinadr also started his saxophone career in the 3rd grade. Twelve years of Catholic school band programs taught him the most important lesson of his career at the time...practice or face the yardstick! Teamed with his brother Kevin, Ron cut his gig teeth with "Mark's Big Sound". The gimmick was a group of teenagers playing 1940's Big Band tunes, including Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and others. Later, Ron joined other Quad City area bands such as "Western Power System", "Alexis", "Soundsations", "Fiesta", and "The Manny Lopez Big Band". Now, some twenty years later, Ron has the chance to once again join with his brother and regain the magic that once was! Ron's impression of his new Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Blues Revue band mates is summed up with this quote, "This band is a group of serious players who don't take themselves too seriously...it's great fun!!! I think you'll like what you hear and see...so we'll see you at the next gig!"
Kevin "2 wood" Bohach
Kevin is a true plebeian horn player, doubling for the band on trumpet and trombone. He started his young musical career in the summer of his 4th grade year when his grandfather, a high school band teacher, loaded up a VW bus, complete with a cornet and they traveled around the United States for a few weeks learning about life, and music theory. After playing his cornet at the rim of the Grand Canyon, Kevin was hooked. He played in honor bands, jazz bands, and all-state bands throughout high school, then continued developing his "chops" in college while playing with rock bands from Northern Iowa named Weathersfield Road, The Pearl Reef Band, and Easy Livin'. Musicians that influenced his career include his grandfather Lawrence Hanson, Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, Bill Chase, Tower of Power, and Adolph Herseth ( his great uncle and first chair trumpet player for 53 years with THEE Chicago Symphony ! ) Kevin is a golf professional in the quad cities where he lives with his wife and 3 children.
Mike " Bones " McMann
Mike " Bones " McMann grew up listening to classic horn bands like Chicago, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Tower of Power, and, of course, The Blues Brothers. Mike has performed and/or toured with icons like Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Frank Foster, and countless others, particularly in the jazz realm. He has played in various groups at the Montreuax Jazz Festival in Switzerland, North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Jazz et Vienne in France, and all over the U.S.A. On the side, "Bones" has played professionally with bands like Project Soul, Shade of Blue, Orquesta Alto Maiz, The Rod Pierson Big Band, River City Six, and many other local and regional big bands. Before joining DA BAND, he also spent some time working for DA MOUSE, spending summers at Disney World and Disneyland Paris as Lead Trombone / Assistant Director of the All-American College Band and International Student Show Band, respectively. He has since turned in his mouse ears to work with High School band students and lead them down the path of musical righteousness ! He currently teaches music at North Scott High School ( Eldridge, Iowa ) and lives in Eldridge with his wife and two sons. Besides being a great player, Mike is a great guy and we are glad to have him on board with us.
All together, these four talented horn players are what we call our "Lake Shore Horns"!
Rick "Right Hand" Bartlett
Rick grew up in Northridge, California where he started plinking on his piano at the tender age of 5. Forced with a small ruler to his knuckles, he hammered away at all the classical styles of Bach, Chopin, and sir Ludwig himself. The dream of being a concert pianist was dashed when the kin folk said "Rick, move away from there"....they loaded up the truck and moved to......Ill-erly...(Illinois). He was inspired to continue his musical persona by the ivories of Jack Fina, Jelly Roll Morton, Big Tiny Little, Scott Joplin, and JoAnn Castle. He struck a Boogie Woogie/Ragtime/R & B Chord when he moved and played in the St. Louis area throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's. We actually discovered Rick while he was servicing our cruiser at a local auto repair shop. We were out Christmas Shopping for band gifts, came back to pick up the car, and he rolled out from under Da Hood, went over to his workbench, donned his jet black Ray Bans' and nailed the Linus & Lucy Theme on a makeshift keyboard he had stashed in his toolbox! Before we knew it, we had a major jam session goin' on right there in the garage! He packed up his shop rags, tools, and his gear, and we've had him ever since!
Kevin Oppendike
Adept at both the Memphis "fatback" soul backbeat and the bouncing Chicago shuffle, drummer Kevin "K.O." Oppendike is well equipped to drive the Shades of Blue band through it's shows and to keep the Bros. (and the audience) moving. Kevin also uses his encyclopedic knowledge of 60's "Soul" music to help the Bros. and band select new songs to add to the show. K.O. began playing drums in 1970 at the age of 8. By 1977 he had formed a band with some high school friends and was playing professionally. Prior to becoming the drummer for "Shades of Blue" Kevin played in numerous professional bands, most notably a 9 year stint as the drummer for "Coupe De Ville", an Iowa based 50's and 60's Rock and Roll show band. As a member of Coupe De Ville, Kevin was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. K.O. signed on with Jake & Elwood back in January of 2002 and has been on the drummer's throne ever since. Kevin is also an avid collector of American made vintage drums and has a large collection of drums and cymbals, including 13 vintage drum sets from the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. He also discovered the element Obscurium in his spare time.
George Bellovics
George Bellovics has been playing bass guitar professionally for nearly 26 years. Prior to providing the bottom end for "Shades of Blue" George spent many years playing bass with various 12,14, and 18 piece big bands based in western Illinois. He is a published songwriter, cartoonist and poet, and he co-produced, co-wrote, and performed on a CD by the band "Legend". George combines his past performance experience with 3,4 and 5 piece power rock and roll bands like "Still in Hollywood" "Silent Fiction" and "F5" along with his extensive big band and jazz performances to lay down a foundation for the "Shades of Blue" sound. He signed on for service with the boys in 2003 and hasn't looked back since. His motto is "Ya gotta feel it to believe it" and when George starts to play you will feel and believe!
Tommy "Lit'l T" Barton
Tommy has played in touring bands for over 20 years, up and down the west coast and thru the heartland of the midwest, he brings a ton of "road" experience to TLNBB. As a singer & songwriter he has released 3 CD's (Rabbit Choir, LoveProps, & Backwash) and played on numerous other studio projects. He mixes the sweet subtle rhythm style of Steve Cropper with the all out crybaby blues of B.B.King...cat can play, the real deal. He cites Jimmy Reed as his favorite blues musician, but "Lit'l T" indulges in all kinds of musical genres. We found him in the alley outside our blue room peering in the window and muttering blues lyrics like "Hey Boss Man, Baby, what you want me to do, Bright Lights Big City." "You can't just play the blues, you've got to been the blues." "I love playin' with these cats, it's like Sunday service, only Saturday night with no guilt...Testify!"....the guy pretty much oozes the Blues. Along with the tightest rhythm section this side of Memphis, Jake & Elwood's back-beats are covered.