- Kal David
Kal David (born David Raskin;
Chicago, Illinois ) is an Americanblues musician famous for his work as a guitarist, singer and songwriter with some of the world's preeminent blues musicians as well as for his work in the early 1970s onColumbia Records .Kal David's recording career began in his teenage years as front man of his local band, Kal David and the Exceptions, of whom
Peter Cetera was a member. It was then that he signed a contract with King Records, later signing to the blues and rock Chicago label,Vee-Jay Records . During his stint at Vee-Jay, Kal formed a new duet, The Rovin' Kind, with guitaristPaul Cotton . The two soon moved toDunwich Records . Following a name change toIllinois Speed Press and a move toLos Angeles , the duo recorded two critically acclaimed albums forColumbia Records , the self-titled "Illinois Speed Press" and "Duet".After Cotton went on to become the lead guitarist for
Poco , Kal moved toWoodstock, New York . His new group,The Fabulous Rhinestones featuring ex-Electric Flag bassistHarvey Brooks , led to three more critically acclaimed albums: "Fabulous Rhinestones", "Freewheelin' " (on Paramount Records) and "Rhinestones" (on20th Century Records ).Kal would also meet future wife, vocalist
Lauri Bono at a Woodstock club, which he visited on the advice of friends. Bono would later accompany him back to Los Angeles for the next phase of his career.Their return to Los Angeles led to Kal and Lauri's sidework for
Etta James andJohnny Rivers . In the early eighties Kal played lead guitar forJohn Mayall on an album which would be released a decade later.Worldwide recognition soon followed with the creation of their own band, showcasing Kal's abilities as a performer. Two albums for
SoulCoast Records , "Never a Dull Moment" and "Double Tuff" each met with more critical acclaim and strong worldwide record sales coupled with numerous television appearances, including a one-hour special featuring Kal in Germany.That new band, the Kal David Band, headed up the weekly Pro-Jam at Hollywood's
China Club . This event drew such rock and soul greats asStevie Wonder ,Bobby Brown ,John Entwistle ,Larry Carlton ,Brian Wilson ,Stephen Stills ,Joe Walsh andPaul Young . Blues legends Sam Taylor andFloyd Dixon were regulars as well.The early 1990s saw Kal and Lauri's move to
Palm Springs, California and the formation of yet another band, Kal David and the Real Deal. This group featured both Kal and Lauri on vocals along with formerChaka Khan musical directorTony Patler onHammond B-3 organ and drummerAlan Diaz , formerly withSergio Mendes . Kal even tried his hand at local radio, hosting the late night "Blue Monday" blues show on Palm Springssoft rock stationKEZN . The weekly, two-hour show featured classic blues recordings from his extensive private collection.On July 14, 1998, the couple opened the Blue Guitar blues club above the Plaza Theater, of one of downtown Palm Springs' most historic buildings. In order to concentrate more on their touring, Kal and Lauri closed the Blue Guitar in late 2004.
Kal David and Lauri Bono continue to tour and frequently play to sold-out audiences at such venues as B.B. King's Blues Club in Los Angeles and the
Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino inConnecticut .Kal David is the voice of Sonny Eclipse, a singing alien
audio-animatronic , who resides atCosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe at theMagic Kingdom inWalt Disney World . He did another performance for Disney World at Epcot, where he performed the "Unhealthy Living Blues" for the "Goofy About Health" exhibit at theWonders of Life pavilion.References
External links
* [http://www.kaldavid.com Kal David official website, tour schedule and discography]
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