Featured Artist of
April 6, 2019
with
the songs: Don't Look Back, Stella Blue
".... “Power-Pop” was the moment—but Pezband is forever the quintessential
American rock group." Paul Broucek, President/Movie Music/Warner Brothers.
"Pezband are archetypal, unpretentious and a whole lot of fun. They offer a
musical DNA that should be in the plasma of any serious music fan." Bruce
Bodeen, President/Not Lame Records.
Pezband is an American Rock band formed in 1971 in the Chicago suburb of Oak
Park, Illinois.
The ensemble began in the fall of 1971 when four Oak Park musicians teamed
up to jam on covers of songs by The Yardbirds, Kinks and Peter Green-era
Fleetwood Mac. The original lineup consisted of Mimi Betinis (guitar and
lead vocals), Mick Rain (drums and vocals), John Pazdan (guitar, piano and
vocals), and Mike Gorman (bass and vocals).
The group played its first shows at small clubs in the Chicago suburbs, then
advanced to performing on Rush Street, the principle entertainment district
in Chicago. Singer Cliff Johnson was added to the lineup in the Spring of
1972. Playing venues such as Rush Up, they often performed five days in a
row, four to five sets a night. John Pazdan left the group in December 1972,
replaced by guitarist Dan Wade. With the new lineup, Pezband started touring
the American Midwest and East Coast, incorporating original songs into their
sets. A year later, guitarist Tommy Gawenda replaced Wade, and the band
played the West Coast as well, with shows at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go
and The Starwood in Los Angeles. By the end of 1975, Johnson was replaced by
singer West Davis. In 1976, the group made the decision to play as a
foursome with Betinis back as lead singer. They recruited NRBQ manager Mike
Lembo and were soon signed to Passport/ABC Dunhill Records, relocating to
New Jersey to be closer to management and record company.
Pezband's first record, eponymously titled ("Pezband”), was recorded in
early 1977 at The House of Music in New Jersey, with E-Street sax player
Clarence Clemmons, synthesist Larry Fast, and jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker
making guest appearances. Positive reviews followed their first release, and
the band found itself showcased as 'most promising act' at the ABC/Dunhill
record convention. Soon after featured on national TV, they appeared on The
Today Show with Jane Pauley, who commented that "this is the sound everybody
will be talking about."
In 1978, the group opened major stadium shows for Fleetwood Mac and
Supertramp and played New York at Max's Kansas City and CBGB's. By the end
of that year, the band flew to London to record their second record,
"Laughing In The Dark", at Jethro Tull's studio, Maison Rouge. Guest
musicians included Tommy Eyre and King Crimson sax player Mel Collins. Famed
cover art designers Hypnosis produced the artwork for the album (The first
Hypnosis cover design for an American band). While in London, they also cut
a live EP, "Too Old Too Soon", at the club Dingwall's, the first American
group to record there. As 1978 drew to a close, Rolling Stone cited the
"Laughing in the Dark" LP as one of the top records of the year.
In 1979, Pezband moved back to Chicago, recording their second live EP,
"Thirty Seconds Over Schaumburg", at the suburban Chicago club B.Ginnings.
Their third LP, "Cover To Cover", was recorded at Tanglewood studios in
Brookfield, Illinois, at the end of the year, and included guest Scott May
on keyboards.
1980, however, saw an industry-wide slump hitting the music and record
business. Indie labels like Passport were particularly affected, and their
support for Pezband faded. The group briefly disbanded but reorganized in
1981 as a trio with Betinis, Rain and Pazdan. This version picked up a
production deal with former Oak Parker/ Los Angeles producer Paul Broucek
and in 1982 recorded an EP titled "Women & Politics" at the Record Plant in
Los Angeles. But their distribution deal fell through, and the group went on
hiatus in 1983.
While on hiatus, the members took on various side projects, Betinis working
with Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson, Pazdan founding the alt country
group Big Guitars from Memphis while doing session and live work with
everyone from David Sanborn to Chuck Berry. In 2006 and 2007, the trio of
Betinis, Rain, and Pazdan played shows in Chicago, London, and Liverpool.
They also recorded new material. Though well-received, they again
disbanded...until 2012.
Unexpectedly, in the spring of 2012, producer (and now President of Music at
Warner Bros. Pictures) Paul Broucek sent the Pezband trio a mastered version
of "Women & Politics", the EP they had recorded in LA in 1982. Broucek, by
this time an executive and well established music producer for New Line
Cinema and Warner Brothers motion pictures (including "Austin Powers" and
"Lord of the Rings") had started a boutique label, Common Market. He would
see to it that "Women & Politics" would finally be released. This had the
effect of restarting the group, which conducted under-the-radar gigs in
Chicago, appearing unannounced at small Chicago venues, variously billed as
"Nozzle" and "The John Pazdan Jazz Trio".
Drawing from a pool of five records, the "Women & Politics" EP, and new work
written and recorded over the years, Pezband has formally returned. "Women &
Politics" is scheduled for a 2013 release, and there will be a return tour
to the UK and a first-ever tour in Japan, where fans have followed the band
for decades, as well as a studio album "Dangerous People", for Japanese
release. In the States, the band has started touring again, and is currently
negotiating for a 7” single release in the Fall.
Awards: Power Pop Hall of Fame 2018
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