Mike Wheeler - Lead Guitar & Vocals Mike Wheeler has been seasoned into a Bluesman on the South-side of Chicago where he grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. He followed the roots of the music he loved, which brought him straight home to Bronzville where the music originated. Mike cut his teeth with the Chicago Redhots, perfecting his sound and making it his own. His style has the smoothness of Buddy Guy and the heavy punch of Albert King, but his talent doesn't run out there. He also has the voice of a young and vibrant Bobby "Blue" Bland. Dave White is from the Chicago Reader wrote about Mike, after seeing him play with the Chicago Playboys, stating that he has the "Typical Chicagoan blend of Texas-to-Memphis panache and back-alley aggression." If you see Mike Wheeler play live - you're witnessing a legend in the making. Big James and The Chicago Playboys have a heavy hitter in Mike Wheeler - he lets his soul out when he plays. Cleo Cole - Drummer As a Chicago area native, Cleo Cole's musical career started at the tender age of 13 years old when he played lead guitar for 2 years in a local R & B band called "Black Fire." Cleo's musical attributes also included bass guitar and then at the age of 17 he took on and fell in love with the drums. Cleo entered The Conservatory of Music in Chicago, at age 19, where drum instructor Peter Romalis taught and helped him hone his craft for 3 years. Later he met and played with Bill Warner who really turned him on to the blues. As Cleo's "Blues" career progressed he was fortunate enough to play with many notable talents including Doug MacDonald & The Blue Minor Band, Floyd Taylor, Karen Carol, Shirley King, Shirley Johnson, Maurice John-Vaugh, O. C. Anderson, Smokin' Joe and Cadillac Dave. Along came June 1998 & his affiliate with Big James and The Chicago Playboys. You can witness his outstanding talent on the new CD entitled "If It Wasn't 4 Da Blues." Cleo has been playing the drums for 20 years and says..."I love it more than ever! My instruments of choice are Yamaha Maple Customs Drums with the line of Zilgen Symbols." This talented musician now teaches drum lesson and has gone full circle in his musical career opening his world to the hearts of others. A fan who caught a live performance at Buddy Guy's Legends wrote ..." and the drummer couldn't put a stick in the wrong place!" Joseph Sylvester Blocker Keyboards & Vocals Born: March 6, 1952, Cook County-Chicago, Illinois Sign: Pisces Hobbies: Computers -- Composing -- Games Joseph was introduced to music early in his life because his mother was a DJ. The real interest was acquired when he saw a band practicing in his building one day. The drums held him captive for much of his young life. Upon joining the band he discovered he had rhythm and started playing congoes, gradually moving to the drums. Entering high school he chose to study drums, but was told that everyone in the music class wanted to be a drummer and he must choose another instrument. First he was placed on bass violin, but rejected it. There was a guy named Verdine White playing 1st bass violin, and he was great (way back then). Next they placed Joe on trombone, but still he had no interest. Finally they placed him on piano, although still not interested, he played drums whenever he could. On Feb. 22, 1971 Joe was drafted into the U.S.Army. Upon completing basic training and Advanced Individual Training, he was moved to play. Not a large selection of instruments were available on the Military Bases, but you could always find a piano. Every chance Joseph could leave the barracks he would go play the piano at the Service Center. Eventually he began to attract attention from others also wanting to get away from the barracks. Jam sessions began! As the jamming continued, the percussive method that is his playing style was born. Joe has played as an opening act for many greats including Marvin Gaye, The Chi-Lites, James Brown, Al Green, B.B. King, Albert King, Bobby Blue Band and Tyrone Davis to name a few. He had the privilege of performing for the great Lou Rawls and performed with Chick (Stoop Down Man) Willis and Millie Jackson. Joe moved to Florida where he joined the super group "Bobby Williams & The Mar-Kings" and toured the world. His next move took him to Jackson, Mississippi where he joined the group "Sonic Funk" and played with super entertainer Jewell Bass. On occasion he was privileged to perform with Tommy Tate. He was the bandleader for Z.Z. Hill, and McKinley Mitchell for many years. When both of these great stars passed on, a confused and saddened musician resigned from music. During a 16 year break from music, Joseph began doing Concert Sound as a sound and lighting technician for 10 1/2 years in Hawaii and Japan. There he had the privilege of working with such greats as Montel Jordan, Peabo Bryson, ROGER and the ZAPP band, Shirley Murdock, BlackStreet, Paul Revere & The Raiders, America, Justine and the Pirates of the Mississippi. Just a few, but enough to show the styles that have been this self-taught musician's classroom. Returning to Chicago in 1997 Joseph joined The Park Avenue Players. They jammed one day with this "bad" guitarist named Mike Wheeler, formerly known as Ice Mike, who then invited Joe to come to a gig for Big James and The Chicago Playboys. They were moved by his style and invited him to become a member of the group. Joe says... "I loved how the group sounded and became a member. I should say formerly known as a group, because this is a MUST SEE SHOW! Hopefully we'll be coming to a place near you - to Funk Your Soul and Make Your Blues Fun! (Be Seeing U.)" Charles Kimble - Saxophone & Vocals Coming up as a child in Chicago Charles was musically influenced by numerous artists and entertainers including Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and The Temptations. His closest mentor was his Uncle who played in the "Red Saunders Orchestra". Uncle would take Charles to rehearsals as the "RSO" would play back-up for most of the acts at the old Regal Theatre in Chicago. It was during that time that he was exposed to the afore mentioned artists and also the time when his Uncle began Charles musical attributes by teaching him to play the saxophone. In high school Charles played in the band and had a head start on his classmates due to his Uncle's past tutoring. As his musical studies on his sax progressed, he was influenced by a host of other musical talents including Gene Ammons, Stan Getz, Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley. As a young musician, trying to gain acceptance from his peers, Charles worked with a lot of local bands in the Chicago area. Being good enough to work was the key to being popular on the music set. He has played behind major acts including Tyrone Davis, The Chi-Lites, Son Seals, Otis Rush & Buddy Guy. In 1990 Charles met and joined Little Johnny Christian's band, The Chicago Playboys. It is there that he met and established a working relationship with James Montgomery, A.K.A. "Big James". Together they toured worldwide with Buddy Guy & then Otis Rush. They always wanted to make good their promise to the late Johnny Christian to keep The Chicago Playboys alive. Charles & James wrote songs for their first CD entitled "Big James" Funkin' Blues. They are now taking their music to the next level with their second effort entitled "If It Wasn't 4 Da Blues". Dave Whiteis of the Chicago Reader writes about Charles' live performance..."when Kimble solos, he bundles concise, hard-edged riffs into almost architectural shapes; he seems to be methodically stacking his musical ideas, climbing in pitch or intensity as he adds each new layer." Larry Williams, Bassist Hometown: Chicago IL., Born: Sept 30 1961 I was 15 years old when I fell in love with the Bass Guitar, my brother Bennie Williams, Jr., played, and it became an obsession for me to learn how to play and to be as good as him. Then, I got into the High School Band and met Mr. Harvey Burton, the Music Teacher and was taken to a different level in terms of the Bass guitar. I started to listen and study some of the musician's around the Chicago scene like Jerome Scott and Sam Goode. Some of the greats caught my attention like Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke, and James Jamison. I played with a lot of groups coming up, the Next Movement, Superior Movement, Y'S Choice, Main Foundation, Stardom, but the greatest one was to play for The Family Jubilee, which was my families Gospel Group, we were much like the Jackson Five, except we were gospel. I started being in the right places at the right times, like my band would be the opener for some of the Top Acts out there, and the Bass Guitar Player would be late for the show, so I got to play with the Dramatics, Tyrone Davis, and Willie Clayton, just to name a few. Growing up I used to be in competition with other Bassists, and it was one of these guys that introduced me to Big James & the Chicago Playboys, he was Orlando Wright, Buddy Guys Bass player. He was touring with Big James while they were looking for me. They didn't know that they were looking for me, but I was born to be a Chicago Playboy and when we finally got together, NOW...They know...

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