Brillo & The Firebirds (Macomb)

Dennis Albee of Macomb, Illinois started performing at a very young age.  His parents had a square and round dance band and young Dennis was on stage playing music with them before he was ten.  Along with his older sister Dina, Albee was also part of a twirling act where he would perform with flaming batons, spinning them high into the air.  By age 12, Albee had started his own rock band, the Fire Birds.  

The earliest group included Dennis on guitar, Dina on bass and a drummer from Iowa.  At a talent show in Cuba, Illinois in the summer of 1965 the Albees performed both their baton act and played "Henry The Eighth" and "What'd I Say" as the Fire Birds.  Later that summer the band was performing all over western Illinois. 

By 1966, the group was a quartet: Dennis on guitar, Dina now on rhythm guitar and organ, Rob Nelson on bass and Mike Golliher on drums.  Nelson was from Bowen, Illinois and Golliher was from Warsaw, Illinois.   Most of them were still in high school at the time.  It was actually a high school teacher that would tease Dennis about his curly hair, giving him the nickname Brillo.  The band soon became known as Brillo & The Firebirds.

At the 1966 Young America Fair (a division of the Illinois State Fair) the Firebirds were finalists in the statewide Combo Clash.  The Knight Beats of Centralia took the top honor that year.  Earlier in the summer, the Firebirds had participated in the World Teenage Show held at Navy Pier in Chicago.  In September 1966, they opened for Beau Brummels at the Fort Madison, Iowa Rodeo Arena.

  

One of their biggest performances came the next summer when Brillo & The Firebirds won the International Battle of the Bands at the 1967 World Teenage Show in Chicago.  The competition was sponsored by WLS and the Ludwig Drum Company.  According to an article in the Burlington, Iowa newspaper, "The group was awarded recording contracts, booking contracts, an engraved trophy for each member, $25,000 in equipment and a 3-week tour of Europe."

Unfortunately, none of this came to pass.  Instead, Brillo & The Firebirds would continue to perform at county fairs, high school dances and teen centers across western Illinois and eastern Iowa for the next several years.  It would be almost two years before the band would produce their only commercial recording; a self-released single recorded at Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin, Illinois.  The 45 was released in 1969 and contained two original tunes: 

"Some Place To Hide"  /  "Calling Red Rover"

 

Brillo and the Firebirds increasingly performed on the Iowa side of the river and were regulars at the Sunday night dances at the American Legion in West Point.  In April 1969, they opened for the New Colony Six at the Keokuk College fieldhouse.  On several occasions they shared a bill with Gonn from Keokuk.  Before the end of the year however the Firebirds had called it quits.

By May of 1970 a band called Tom, Dick and Harry was performing in Iowa.  They were billed as "formerly Brillo & The Firebirds."  Dennis Albee eventually moved to Iowa where he played in a number of bands and continues to play to this day.  In 2010, Albee was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Questioning his own credentials as an Iowan despite having lived there for quite some time, he told the Burlington, Iowa newspaper, "I'm an Illinois guy."

In October 2023, Brillo participated in a celebration of the Golden Voice Recording Co at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.  Albee performed both songs from his 1969 single along with Craig Moore (of Gonn) on bass, Chris Delbridge on keyboards and Matthew Warren on drums.

 

Ashes Of Dawn (Carbondale)

The Ashes of Dawn formed in late 1967 on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.  The six students that made up the pop group were mostly from the Chicagoland area but included a few members from downstate.

• Fred Walker, vocals (Harrisburg)
• Rob Little, lead guitar (Rantoul)
• Douglas Haas, 12-string guitar (Wheaton)
• Howard Williams, bass (Kankakee)
• Tom Parnell, electric organ (Chicago)
• Richard Wittosch, drums (Chicago)

By March of 1968 the "psychedelic orchestra" was performing around Carbondale and the surrounding areas.  In August the group signed a recording contract with Brave Records of Harvey, Illinois.  The Ashes of Dawn were the first "contemporary rock" group to be signed by the label which typically featured country and western music.  They reportedly had a contract to record six singles and possibly an album.

The group's first single was released on September 7, 1968.  It included two originals, "Yesterday's Dream" and "See The Light."  The music for both songs were written by Douglas Haas.  Haas also wrote the words for "See The Light."  The lyrics for "Yesterday's Dream" were written by Fred Walker.

 

A few weeks after the single was out, the Ashes of Dawn opened for the Box Tops at the SIU Arena.  The group continued to perform around southern Illinois and parts of Missouri for the next year.

An article from December 1968 mentions the band was recording in Nashville.  If true, nothing came of the sessions.  The band never released another single.  In June 1969, the group performed on Kaleidoscope, a weekly variety television show produced in Carbondale by WSIU-TV.  The show was carried by 20 different stations throughout the Midwest.  The band doesn't appear to have stayed together much longer however.  Several of the members graduated from SIU in the spring of 1970.

 

Additional notes:

Prior to the Ashes of Dawn, Fred Walker had been the singer in the Scarabs, a popular teen group from Harrisburg.  Other members of the group included Ed Thurmond, Joe Potts, Gary Brantley, Dennis Wilson and Curt Williams.

 

Before attending SIU, organ player Tom Parnell had been a member of the Exterminators and the Dimensions back in Chicago.

The Psychedelic Sounds of Howie Thayer (La Moille)

On December 19, 1967, eighteen-year-old Howie Thayer of La Moille, Illinois travelled nearly 150 miles south to Roger Francisco's basement recording studio in Urbana, Illinois.  With rented instruments and six paychecks to cover the cost of one marathon session, Thayer recorded all of the different musical parts and vocals for both sides of a single.

According to the Bureau County Republican, Thayer used "a total of eight generations (overdubs) of tape on each song - five instrumental overdubs and three vocal overdubs.   The newspaper added, "Thayer played the drums, piano, organ, bass guitar and lead fuzz guitar and sang two background vocals and one lead vocal in his two arrangements."

The two songs that Thayer recorded that day were "Movin' Groovin' Fairy Tale" and "If Death Don't Get You (Then The Government Will)."  

At the time, Thayer told the Bureau County Republican that the song "If Death Don't Get You" was about the saying "You only have to do two things in life - pay taxes and die."  He added that it was "mainly about the plight of the factory worker."  He jokingly said that "Fairy Tale" was about the plight of his love life.

Despite recording all the parts himself, the single was credited to Howie Thayer and His Psycho-Electric Happening and was released on his own Psychedelic Sounds label.

 

Thayer had graduated from La Moille High School earlier that same year.   While in school, he had been a drummer in a teen combo, the XKE's, along with Larry Lucas, Steve Westerlin, Jim Ewalt and Dale Edlefson.  After graduation, Thayer had started working as a disc jockey at a local radio station.  When the single was released, the local paper mentioned that "he will be playing the two songs occasionally on his sock show on WZOE radio."

In a 2018 conversation, Thayer confirmed many of the details of the recording.  He added that he had 1,000 copies pressed at the time and sold out.  He also mentioned, at one point you could buy the record at Clickner's in Princeton, Illinois, where the owner had provided Thayer with a special rack to display his single.

Thayer would return to RoFran Enterprises in Urbana two more times in 1968 according to the RoFran studio log (March 9th and September 5th).  The result was another single, likely recorded in the same manner as the first.   

Again both song were written by Thayer - an instrumental, "Bazap!," backed with "Side 2," a tragic love story referencing LSD and suicide among other things.  Once again, the single was credited to Howie Thayer and His Psycho-Electric Happening and released on Psychedelic Sounds.

 

It is difficult to imagine how people in north-central Illinois responded to these records in 1968.  Thayer remembers "Bazap!" getting some airplay on WSDR in Sterling, Illinois at the time - another radio station where he had worked.  

Whatever the reaction, these two singles would prove to be Thayer's entire recorded output as a musical  performer.  His radio career, on the other hand, was just beginning.  From 1967 to the current day, Thayer has worked at more than 50 different radio stations throughout the country.  At some point along the way, he legally changed his first name to "Dr."  In 1992, he earned a doctorate degree from Florida International University, officially making him, Dr. Dr. Thayer.

In 2004, Thayer bought a radio station: 96.7 FM-WZPH in Zephyrhills, FL - "The Zephyr."  The format of the station is strictly "oldies" with no commercials whatsoever.  As a result, it holds a world record for playing more than 3.5 million songs in a row.  The streak was sadly broken on October 10, 2024 when Hurricane Milton destroyed the station.  Dr. Dr. and the Zephyr however are back on the air in 2025! 

In addition to radio, Dr. Dr. is also a math teacher and a body builder... he might even be the Incredible Impressive Hulk.

The Bushes (Galesburg)

The Bushes were once billed as the "All Galesburg Group with the Big Detroit Sound."   Their combination of blue-eyed soul, psychedelia and rock made them a popular live act in western Illinois in the late 1960's.  

The group also recorded and self-released an album in 1969, Assorted Shrubbery, before calling it quits after just two years together.

Back in the fall of 1967, the Bushes started out as a quintet.  Two of the members, Joel Wilson and Ron Stockert, were students at Knox College at the time.  The other three members, John Zefo, Al Johnson and Gary Owen, all lived in Galesburg, Illinois.

The Bushes  -Dec 1968:  Al Johnson, John Zefo, Joel Wilson, Ron Stockert.  Gary Owen had left the group by then.

Wilson, the lead singer and drummer for the group, was from Upstate New York originally.   According to an article in the Knox Student, Wilson had previously been a member of a group called the In Crowd.

Ron Stockert, the talented keyboardist, was from Havana, Illinois. While in high school, Stockert played organ in A.J. & The Savages along with Jerry "Pork" Armstrong.   The teenagers released one single on Deleware Records, a Chicago-area label.   It included a cover of "Farmer John" and the original "Long Long Time," which was credited to Stockert.

In 1968, Stockert would also sit in on a recording session with Armstrong's new group, Yellow Bird.  One of the songs they recorded was a cover of "Function At The Junction," a song that the Bushes would also record for their album.  Both recordings were done at the Golden Voice Recording Company in South Pekin, Illinois.

  

A January 1968 article in the Knox Student mentions that the Bushes were hoping to record a version of "Cold Rain and Snow," previously done by the Grateful Dead.  It is unclear if that ever happened.  Instead, their first available recording was a cover of the Foundations' "Baby, Now That I've Found You."

The song was included on a double 7" compilation that came with the Knox College literary magazine, Siwasher, in 1968.  The recording was likely done on campus during one of the group's live performances.  The records were "mastered" and pressed by the Fredlo Recording Studios in Davenport, IA.

  

Sometime in late 1968 or early 1969, the Bushes traveled to the Golden Voice studio in South Pekin to record their only album.   By this point, Gary Owen had left the group and they were performing as a quartet.

Most of the songs on the album were soul covers originally done by the Temptations, the Impressions, the Miracles and others.

The three originals on the album were "The Hopes, The Dreams, The Tears" (music by Stockert, words by Johnson & Wilson), "Most Girls" (music by Stockert, words by Wilson) and the brief instrumental, "Polphony" (credited simply to Bushes).

The album was released on Growth Records (LP S 200-08) in the spring of 1969.   Listen to the FULL ALBUM:

In April the LP was listed as a top seller in several Galesburg record stores.  Despite their local popularity, the Bushes did not last.   

 

Stockert eventually got back together with Jerry "Pork" Armstrong to form a new group, the Light Brigade, in Decatur, Illinois.

The group featured Steve Hunter on guitar as well as Bruce Horn and Randy Luckenbill (Darwin's Theory, Heavy Gun).  The group went on to be part of the thriving Champaign-Urbana music scene.  They even recorded at Golden Voice but the recordings were never released.

After the Light Brigade, Stockert joined up with some fellow Champaign musicians and eventually moved to Chicago to form the band Rufus.  Stockert would go on to write and sing about half of the band's debut album which was released on ABC Records in 1973.

  

The band's second album, Rags To Rufus, which prominently featured Chaka Kahn's vocals, went gold and earned Stockert and the group a Grammy.   Stockert left soon after.   He eventally went on to play with Three Dog Night and many others.

For more on Ron Stockert's musical journey:

Maximus, Woof, Jack & Jeris Ross (Bloomington-Normal)

Psychedelic rock group Maximus was formed in late 1968 by Bloomington, Illinois native Jack Ross.  Prior to Maximus, Ross had played in one of the last incarnations of the popular Bloomington-Normal band, The Shattertones.

According to this 1969 ad, Maximus consisted of "four guys and a girl."  Timothy P. Irvin, a founding member of The Shattertones, briefly played in Maximus.  Except for Ross and Irvin, the other members of the group have not been identified.

The short-lived group released two singles on two different labels in 1969 but broke up before the end of the year.

The first Maximus single was recorded at Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin, Illinois and released on the Golden Voice label:  "A Better Mind" b/w "Somebody To Care."  Both songs were written by Jack Ross.  The address printed on the record was Ross' home address.

 

The second single was released on Galico Records out of Macon, Georgia.  It included a re-recording of "Somebody To Care," now titled "Need Somebody" (erronously credited to Jack Frost).  The a-side was a cover of Delbert McClinton's "If You Really Want Me To I'll Go," originally released by the Ron-Dels in 1965.

 

An April 12, 1969 article in the Daily Pantagaph mentions that the group was currently recording in Nashville.  It unclear if that recording session became the Galico single or remains unreleased material.

After Maximus, Ross formed another local band, Woof, in 1970.  The group, described as a six-piece combo, played regularly at the Alley Club in Bloomington.  Jeris Hughes, a young female singer living in Bloomington-Normal, soon joined the group.   Hughes, originally from East Alton, Illinois, was a student at Illinois State University at the time.

Woof released one 45 in 1971 on Lelan Rogers' label House Of The Fox.  The mostly instrumental "This Is All I'll Say" written by Ross & Hughes was backed with "Gotta Get Home To You" which is credited to just Ross.  Both songs were very likely recorded at Golden Voice Recording Co. given that studio owner Jerry Milam is credited as a producer.

 

By 1971, Jack and Jeris got married and left Illinois for Nashville.  Doug Hauseman, a member of Woof, also moved to Nashville at the same time.  

An article in the Alton Evening Telegraph from 1972 mentions that Woof were originally signed to Liberty United Artists by a California promoter.  Jeris explains, "They promised us the world but nothing came of it.  The contract was dissolved after three months and the band broke up.  The organ player and Jack and I went to Nashville."

While in Nashville, Jack Ross initially went to work for Lelan Rogers Enterprises.  Ross is given songwriting credit on at least one other single released on House of the Fox.   By 1972 he began to work more as a session bass player around Music City.  

The article in the Alton Evening Telegraph mentions that Jack, in addition to guitar, could play piano, organ, trombone and saxophone.  It also mentioned that he was a former student of guitarist Johnny Smith and had played at Carnegie Hall with the NORAD Band while in the Air Force.

While Jack settled in as a session player, Jeris was developing a solo career in country music as a singer.   

She started out recording jingles and radio commercials but with Jack's studio connections was able to land a contract with Cartwheel Records.    Her first single was a cover of Melanie's "Brand New Key."  It reached #39 on the country charts.

Over the he next few years, Jeris released several singles on several different labels including one song written by Jack  - "I Wonder How The Folks Are (Back In Kansas)."  In late 1972, Cartwheel Records was absorbed by ABC-Dunhill and Jeris would eventually sign with the parent label.  

In the May 31, 1975 issue of Cash Box, Jeris was named Country Artist of the Week.   That same year she released a self-titled full length album on ABC-Dot.   

One of the singles, "Pictures On Paper," was a top 15 country hit.  The album also featured a single with one of the the all-time great country titles, "I'd Rather Be Picked Up Here (Than Put Down At Home)."

In 1978, the couple were featured in a story in Bloomington's Daily Pantagraph.  It mentions that Jack had become one of the top session bass players in Nashville.  His resume, at that time, already included recordings with the Kendalls, Freddy Fender, Jeanie C. Riley, Don Gibson, Stella Parton as well as an album by Webb Pierce & Carol Channing.

In addition to his studio work and managing his wife' career, Jack owned his owned his own production companies, Crystal Blue Music and Crystal Blue Productions.

By the early 1980's however, Jeris' country career had fizzled out.  Jack and Jeris eventually divorced.  

Less than a decade later, Jeris (now Jeris Ford) revived her singing career as a member of an oldies group from Tulsa, OK called Bop Cats.

Jack spent the rest of his career as a studio musician in Nashville and was a lifetime member of the Nashville Association of Musicians #257.   He passed away on Nov. 2, 2013.

The Session (Carbondale)

UPDATE:  On April 3, 2025, WSIU removed most of my Session videos from YouTube for broadcast and copyright reasons.  The videos I posted were originally given to my by Bruce Scafe, creator and producer of the show, who specifically asked that I share them.   Thankfully, most of the videos posted here were already available elsewhere.

2nd UPDATE (May 27, 2026):  WSIU assures me that the original master tapes for the Session are safely stored on the Carbondale campus.  They hope to re-air some of the episodes as money and time allows.  In fact, they plan to rebroadcast the complete Billy Joel show during the upcoming pledge drive.

The Session, one of the first nationally televised music programs to feature up-and-coming artists, was filmed and produced by WSIU-TV (Channel 8) in Carbondale, Illinois.  The half-hour show aired weekly on PBS stations across the country between 1971 and 1973.  It featured primarily rock, jazz and folk groups from downstate Illinois as well as the St. Louis area.  On occasion the show presented new artists from around the country, including a young "Piano Man" from New York.

The Session was the brainchild of Bruce Scafe, WSIU's television producer at the time.  Scafe was an Aurora, Illinois native that held a bachelor's degree in music and a master's in radio-television from the University of Illinois.  Before being hired at WSIU in 1970, Scafe played trumpet for two years in Les Elgart's band.  He was also a member of the U of I Jazz Band for several years.  The Session was a natural marriage of Scafe's two main interests, music and television.

Between August 1971 and August 1972, Scafe directed and produced 67 episodes of The Session.  All of the camera and audio crew were students at Southern Illinois University.   Hosts of the show included London Branch, Larry James and David Langdon. 

Initially the program was broadcast in Carbondale and re-shown on public television networks around the Midwest.  By the summer of 1973, PBS selected 17 programs to broadcast nationally.  Before they aired however, Scafe left WSIU for a television job in Texas.

When asked about the show in 1973 for a syndicated article promoting the program, Scafe said, "We only had two cameras available.   It would have looked great if we had three.  I look at the program now and I find a lot that's lacking."  He added, "But we did the best we could and I think we actually pulled off miracles with the equipment we had."  

A year later, Scafe went on to help create another music show for public television in Texas.  That show, now the longest-running music program in television history, was Austin City Limits.  In a recent correspondence with Bruce Scafe, he reflected on his time directing and producing The Session more positively than he did in 1973, saying "Everything I learned about directing music came from that show.  I had to be quick on my feet.  With only 2 cameras I had to make every shot count and be able to anticipate what was next.  I think we accomplished that…making 2 cameras look like 3.”  Scafe added, "I can honestly say there would be no ACL without that experience."

Thanks to Bruce, we can now watch more episodes of The Session than any time in the last 50 years.  He has shared with us several complete episodes which you will find below.  Also, Bruce has shared a treasure trove of photographs taken by Myers Walker, art director at SIUC-TV at the time.  Walker was responsible for the variety of different sets used on The Session.  His photographs provide a unique view of the show and the musicians.   The descriptions below come directly from the PBS press releases and/or newspaper TV listings.

The Session - Performers and Episodes

Brownsville Station  (PBS Ep. 101 / Tape Date: ? /  Air Date: 6/9/73)

You may be able to view the video HERE

Recorded in Carbondale, Illinois in 1972 and aired nationally by PBS in June of 1973.   The band members included:  Tony Driggins (bass), Michael Lutz (vocals, rhythm guitar), Henry Weck (drums) and Cub Koda (lead guitar).  The Session was produced and directed by Bruce Scafe.  The songs performed: 

Mister Robert

Wanted (Dead or Alive)

Rock With The Music

Jonah’s Here To Stay

Country Flavor

   

  

Fanny  (PBS Ep. 102 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 6/16/73)

 Recorded in Carbondale, Illinois sometime in 1972 and aired nationally on PBS in June of 1973. 0:00 Knock On My Door 5:37 Hey Bulldog 9:48 Ain't That Peculiar 14:14 The First Time 18:47 Borrowed Time 22:31 Charity Ball Below is the original PBS press release:

Fanny, an all-girl rock band who write, sing and play today's music will perform on "The Session," a new summer series of rock and jazz programs produced by public television station WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. With four albums to their credit, Fanny has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe where they are well-known. A hit single, "Charity Ball," put the group at the top of the charts. Of the group, two Manilla born sisters, Jean and June Millington play bass and guitar respectively, with Nicoel Barclay on organ and piano and Alice deBuhr on drums. Nicoel (Nickey) does most of the song-writing for the group. For "The Session" the group does several numbers from their third album, "Fanny Hill," including "Knock on My Door," "Hey, Bulldog," "First Time," "Ain't that Peculiar" and the aforementioned hit, "Charity Ball."

"The Session" is a production of WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. Dave Langdon is host, produced and directed by Bruce Scafe. The program is transmitted nationally by PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service.

 

    

Fanny, an all-girl rock band who write, sing and play today's music will perform on "The Session," a new summer series of rock and jazz programs produced by public television station WSIU, Carbondale, Illinois. With four albums to their credit, Fanny has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe where they are well-known. A hit single, "Charity Ball," put the group at the top of the charts. Of the group, two Manilla born sisters, Jean and June Millington play bass and guitar respectively, with Nicoel [sic] Barclay on organ and piano and Alice deBuhr on drums. Nicoel (Nickey) does most of the song-writing for the group. For "The Session" the group does several numbers from their third album, "Fanny Hill," including "Knock on My Door," "Hey, Bulldog," "First Time," "Ain't that Peculiar" and the aforementioned hit, "Charity Ball."

John Hicks Quartet  (PBS Ep. 103 / Tape Date: ? /  Air Date: 6/23/73)

Besides being an excellent jazz pianist, John Hicks does a great deal of composing and arranging. He is joined by Julius Hemphill on alto sax and flute, Gerald Brantley on bass, Phillip Wilson on drums, and Marcella Hooks, vocalist.

Mike Murphy and the One-Eyed Jacks  (PBS Ep. 104  Tape Date: ?  Air Date: 6/30/73

    

Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks, a rock group with a good measure of rhythm and blues in their act, will be featured on The Session. Group leader Mike Murphy does all of the song writing for the One Eyed Jacks and plays a total of 13 insturments, including calliope, accordion, French horn and of course guitar. Through the years Murphy has played with such rock superstars as Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane, Blood, Sweat & Tears and many others. Other players in the group are: Van Gray, congas; Terry Murphy, organ; Bruce Hall, bass; and Greg Sagesser, drums. For The Session, Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks perform "You Don't Seem to Realize," Untitled," "You've Got Your Nerve," "La La Song," all Mike Murphy tunes and Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love."

Don Crawford  (PBS Ep. 105  Tape Date: 3/22/72  Air Date: 7/7/73)

Folk-rock singer Don Crawford will appear on "The Session," the PBS series of popular music. Crawford, a native of San Francisco is known as a singer of folk songs, rhythm and blues oriented music and is also an actor, monologist and composer. A professional performer since the age of 14, he is adept at six and twelve string guitar and is an accomplished jazz bassist. Among others, he has performed with musicians John Handy, Paul Horn and Gerald Wilson. For "The Session," Crawford performs "I I See You Inside My Mirror," "The Colorado Sweet / Suite," "Gonna Buy You A Music Box," "Lady Anne," "4th Of July Party Song," "For All The Ladies," and "All Because Of You."

Burton & Cunico  (PBS Ep. 106 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 7/14/73)

Ray Burton and Gino Cunico, a folk-rock duo from Sydney, Australia, on WSIU-TV's The Session. The program was taped in 1972 in Carbondale, Illinois and aired nationally in July of 1973. Hosted by Larry James, the Session was produced and directed by Bruce Scafe. The songs performed: Gypsy Lady How In Love Am I? Astral Plane Ride Grandfathers (I Live In A) World Of Fantasy Dream For A Love Run For Your Life

Jake Jones  (PBS Ep. 107 / Tape Date: 5/3/72 / Air Date: 7/21/73)

"a rock band whose instruments include a mellotron"

Recorded May 3, 1972 in Carbondale, Illinois and aired nationally on PBS in July of 1973.  The band included Chuck Sabatino (bass, vocals), Joe Marshall (guitar), Phil Jost (keyboards, mellotron) and Don "Barney" Biver (drums).   The Session was directed and produced by Bruce Scafe.  Some of the songs performed:

The Boat Song
Kiss of Death
Why Do I Cry
Speak To Me Lady
Don't Let Lost Time Bring You Down

Gerry Grossman  (PBS Ep. 108 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 7/28/73)

Gerry Grossman, a singer-guitarist-comic from Chicago, will perform on The Session. Twelve years of guitar experience, plus an extensive knowledge of rock n' roll all the way back to the Big Bopper, provide Grossman with an impressive repertoire. He is continually called upon to defend his claim that he can perform ninety-five percent of all pop songs recorded since 1955. Comedy figures prominently in Grossman's act as well. During a performance he parodies the subjects that are amusingly close to us all - pop music, television, social customs and adolescence. Grossman has appeared at many clubs in the Midwest and has performed on college campuses across the country. For The Session Grossman sings "Rock n' Roll Medley," "When She Smiled," "I Found You," "Watching the World Go By" and "Christy."

Dub Crouch, Norman Ford, and the Bluegrass Rounders  (PBS Ep. 109 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 8/4/73)

Dub Crouch, Norman Ford and the Bluegrass Rounders, a veteran bluegrass group from St. Louis will provide a rousing program of entertainment on The Session. The group has been together for sixteen years, and in 1971, were the winners of both the National and International Bluegrass Band Festival, held in Oklahoma. Along with Dub Crouch, who plays the 5 string banjo, and Norman Ford, who plays the flattop guitar, are Stan Wagganer, mandolin, Bob Wagganer, fiddle and Jesse Sanson, bass fiddle. For their appearance on The Session, the group performs "Panhandle Country," "Midnight Train," "Just A Used-To-Be To You," "Doin' My Time," "Roll On Buddy, Roll On," "Rawhide," "Live and Let Live" and "Ozark Breakdown."

St. Louis Ragtimers  (PBS Ep. 110 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 8/11/73)

St. Louis Jazz Quartet  (PBS Ep. 112 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/8/73)

Formed four years ago, the Quartet has made several appearances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, and has performed more than 200 concerts for the St. Louis Chapter of Young Audiences, Inc., in addition to numerous special concerts on college campuses throughout the Midwest.  Jeanne Trevor is the vocalist for the quartet.  Other members are David Schrage, pianist, Terrence Kippenberger, bass, and Charles Payne, drums.  Their program on THE SESSION will include “I Got Love,” “Green Dolphin Street,” “A House Is Not A Home,” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Mike Murphy and the One Eyed Jacks, a rock group with a good measure of rhythm and blues in their act, will be featured on The Session. Group leader Mike Murphy does all of the song writing for the One Eyed Jacks and plays a total of 13 insturments, including calliope, accordion, French horn and of course guitar. Through the years Murphy has played with such rock superstars as Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane, Blood, Sweat & Tears and many others. Other players in the group are: Van Gray, congas; Terry Murphy, organ; Bruce Hall, bass; and Greg Sagesser, drums.

The Ship  (PBS Ep. 113 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/15/73)

An unusual folk-rock opera called "The Ship" embarks on a "a voyage through the human emotional range." Authors Steve Melshenker and Steve Cowan - who also perform on the program - describe "The Ship" as a "a contemporary folk music journey, a journey of the mind." Their opera uses a voyage metaphor to involve the listener in "an exploration and penetration of the senses." Segments of the opera are entitled "The Storm," "The Calm," "Lost," and "The Island." Performing "The Ship," which will soon be released by Elektra Records, are Todd Bradshaw, electric bass; Steve Reinwand, guitar, dobro, harmonica and vocals; Mark Hamby, piano, flute and vocals; and composers Melskenker and Cowan, guitar and vocals.

Ron Elliston Trio  (PBS Ep. 114 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/22/73)

The Ron Elliston Trio - all members of the University of Illinois Jazz Band - are Fred Atwood, bass; Chuck Braugham, drums; and Elliston, piano. Braugham won the "Best Big Band Drummer Award" at the Mobile (Alabama) Jazz Festival in 1969, and the same year was named "Best Drummer" at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. Bassist Fred Atwood has appeared with Phineas Newborn, Jr. and toured with the Maynard Ferguson Band. Elliston appeared with Dick Schory at Carnegie Hall and worked with the Al Cohn - Zoot Sims Quintet. Their program will include "Skating in Central Park" by John Lewis; a medley of Miles Davis' "All Blues," Bach's Prelude in E Minor and "Django" by John Lewis; and "Minha Saudade.

Coal Kitchen  (PBS Ep. 115 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 9/29/73)

   

Band members: Carla Peyton, vocals; Kevin Cox, flute and congas; Harry Washburn, guitar; Bob Pina, keyboards; Andre Mossotti, bass; and Billy McMullin, drums

Oliver Lake and BAG (Black Artists' Group)  (PBS Ep. 116 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 10/6/73)

Illinois Quartet  (PBS Ep. 117 / Tape Date: ? / Air Date: 11/9/73)

Modern variations on a classical form - the string quartet - are offered by the Illinois Quartet, as they perform two compositions.

There were roughly 50 additional episodes of the Session that aired in Carbondale and around the Midwest in 1971-1972 that were not selected by PBS.   This includes some of the earliest known footage of the "Piano Man."

Billy Joel & Friends  (Tape Date: 2/10/72)

  

 

Billy Joel would just as soon chuck the whole music business, buy a boat and spend the rest of his life fishing. But now that he's in music, he writes all of his own music and displays unusual versatility and range of expression on both his vocals and the piano. Backin up Billy Joel are Al Hurtz on guitar, Larry Impelletiere on bass and Rhys Clark on drums. Numbers include "Travelling Prayer," "Everybody Loves You Now," "Captain Jack" and "Tomorrow is Today."

Listen to a podcast about the Billy Joel & Friends episode which includes an interview with Bruce Scafe:

Radio Will · Billy Joel Carbondale 1972

The Session also featured a number of groups from the Champaign-Urbana rock, folk and jazz scenes:

REO Speedwagon  (Tape Date: 10/13/71)

You may be able to view the video HERE

Head East (Tape Date: 11/12/71)

    "who make use of their Moog-Synthesizer"

Finchley Boys

    "a rock group perform with an electric violin"

Sunday

    "group combines hard rock and jazz music"

  

All Star Frogs

Rocky Maffit

    "Rocky Maffit is a composer-lyricist-singer-guitarist. His music is on the quiet side, but not without a distinctively underlying rhythm and an interesting and unusual blend of voice and guitar. The numbers he performs include 'Gasoline Rainbows,' 'On the Boulevard' and 'Only Suckers Worry'"

James Barton & Friends

    "sing his original folk songs"

Ron Bridgewater Quartet

    "perform 'Naima' and 'Arman,' characterizes its music as the black man's experience through jazz"

Many of the other performers featured on The Session were from southern Illinois or the St. Louis area.

Magna Crunch

    "a six man rock band that blends rock and jazz with choreography and unique musical instruments"

    "a St. Louis rock band plays a program of entirely original music incorporating a wide range of styles from ragtime to an Old English Round"

   

David Earl

     "composer-singer peforms his own work.  Puts his poetry to music"

   

Bob Rembke

    "folk-rock guitarist and comedian presents his own works and some by Bob Dylan"

   

Dalphene McAdory

    "sings in a small nightclub atmosphere"

   

Oldfield, Branch & Company
    "The jazz trio performs four original compositions, plus Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters'"

   

Fee

     

  

The Singing Sphinx & The Souvenir Sounds

     "The Carbondale, Ill. chapter of the Sweet Adelines of America, who call themselves the Singing Sphinx, combine with their barbershop brothers from Herrin, the Souvenir Sounds, to bring an evening of barbershop harmony."

   

Ed Jenny
    "sings excerpts from his three rock operas"

Spoonriver Band
     "'Funky rock 'n' roll plus a little touch of soul' is one way of characterizing the music of The Spoonriver Band from St. Louis. The varied backgrounds of several of its members presents a tasteful blend of styles"

Frank Bellino 

    "plays the viola d'amore"

Gand Family Singers (Tape Date: 4/12/72)

    "Bob Gand and his daughter Gale and son Gary are joined by Joan Berstein in a  performance of traditional American folk songs"

The Group

    "a small jazz trio"

Rich Crandall Trio
    "a contemporary jazz-rock group"

Stanton, Sullivan & Riley
    "freedom and intense involvement are the cornerstone of this group, a folk trio from Carbondale, Illinois"

Corey Jones
    "guitarist plays folk-rock and bluegrass"

Kay Pace & The Inspirational Wonders 
   "gospel singers from Freewill Baptist Church, Carbondale"

Olive Brown
    "blues singer"

SIU Baroque Ensemble 

    "performs Bach, Handel"

The Riverfront Ragtimers

    "features Jean Kittrel on piano, Don Frantz on banjo and Don Summers on tuba"

London Branch Quartet 

Don Brown & The Ozark Mountain Trio

The Country Sounds

Diamond Rio

Equinox

Vince Huffman Quartet

The Jazz Progression

SIU Faculty Brass Quintet

The Session - Behind The Scenes

   

   

    

      

   

     

The original story was posted in July 2023.  Special thanks to Bruce Scafe for generously sharing videos, photos and documents from The Session.