Danny Seraphine
Over the years, I have been to many concerts and live music shows. It would be precise to say I am a downright fiend when it comes to music. Out of possibly hundreds of live music performances I’ve been to, there are a few that outshine the rest. I recently was at Pala Casino’s Event Center for the Danny Seraphine’s Back to Chicago show featuring his band CTA (California Transit Authority). Danny Seraphine is co-founder and longtime Chicago band member (1967-1990). He is a sensational musician who, as the drummer of Chicago, received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and, in addition, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. His remarkable drumming talent is further substantiated by drummer extraordinaire Buddy Rich, who tipped his hat to Seraphine, naming him one of his favorite drummers.
Seraphine formed his band CTA featuring several acclaimed and highly talented musicians, in 2006. These guys put on a phenomenal live show performing the vast catalog of Chicago’s songs, several of which Danny wrote or co-wrote himself.
CTA kicked the concert off with “Street Player,” a song Seraphine co-wrote with Rufus’ keyboardist, David Wolinski. The funk-laden, horn-filled piece showcased the band’s prowess. Singer Tony Grant’s provocative timbre commanded the vocals, which comes as no surprise from the R&B singer, writer, and producer, considered one of the most popular leading men in the stage play industry. His copious film, television, and play resume’ includes Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married, A Madea, Christmas, JD Lawrence’s The Clean Up Woman. He also appeared in the musical production of Jesus Chris Super Star with Jack Black and Ben Vereen.
Danny Seraphine
The band followed up with the crowd-pleaser “Old Days.” The three-piece horn section delivered their harmonic series impeccably. Promptly after the song’s end, guitar player Marc Bonilla left the stage to fix a broken string, and that’s when Seraphine shared a personal anecdote involving a hairpiece and a storm. He had the crowd in stitches, myself included. I won’t recount the details, but if interested, Seraphine mentioned he wrote about it in his autobiography book, Street Player My Chicago Story.
The third song in the set, “Call On Me,” featured singer Grant’s silvery tenor along with a mixture of punchy brass melodies. My heart smiled as the song evolved seamlessly into “Beginnings” (my favorite Chicago track.) Bass player Travis Davis sang the lead with vocal depth and a tone that paired with the song nicely. Travis is an accomplished bass player who has performed with Alice Cooper, Keith Emmerson, Troy Luccketta (Tesla), and many others). The horn section engaged in a striking solo trade-off between the tenor sax and trombone. Then Seraphine broke into a sophisticated drum solo laden with intricate rolls and triplets that epitomized his genius. I also honed in on keyboardist Ed Roth watching him bang out some complex major and minor runs. The song concluded with pulsating energy that spilled over into the crowd resulting in a roar of applause.
Seraphine introduced “Movin’ In,” dedicating it to the late Terry Kath ( Chicago guitarist, vocalist, and founding member). Davis again took the lead vocals. His soulful timbre matched the overall tone of the original. I was intrigued with the song’s multiple rhythm layers and diverse melodies. It began with a robust R&B soul piece and then morphed nicely into an urban jazz tune with Seraphine playing some intricate fills on his ride.
Tony Grant
Singer Tony Grant’s tenor resonated with rich textures on “You’re the Inspiration,” and then it was keyboardists’ time to shine on “Does Anybody Know What Time It Is.” Ed Roth began by saying this is “like my one little minute to freestyle…so indulge me if I go to jazz land a little bit.” Unlike the original, Roth began by playing a delicate thoughtful passage, and then right at the point when you could hear a pin drop, a cell phone could be heard clearly from the audience. Roth stopped playing and said, “Seriously?” There was a chuckle from the crowd. The moment added to the overall intimate ambiance of the moment. Ed Roth’s reimagined “freestyle” arrangement was inspiring and captivating, a solid testament to his expertise. Roth has had an impressive musical career as a Los Angeles-based keyboardist, arranger, musical director, and producer. He has recorded with a slew of renowned musicians and Grammy winners. (Annie Lennox, Taylor Dayne, Rob Halford, Ronnie Montrose, etc.) He also has several soundtracks and commercial credits, including Sony Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, BET, Disney, Guitar Hero 3, Honda, and more…
Danny Seraphine introduced the next song giving credit to James Panko as a great writer and arranger who had written this number one hit, “Just You and Me.” The horn ensemble supremely delivered a tight performance. The soprano saxophonist, Alex Budman, impressed with a screaming solo. The high-energy keyboards and Seraphine’s lavish drum licks had most of the audience on their feet and dancing. Seraphine commented on the rug-cutting crowd and told another great story about the Aragon Ball and the last gang fight he was in.
Ed Roth
The show up to this point was pretty awesome, but the next song took it to another level. Introduced as an essential piece of music written by James Pankow, Seraphine called it “a very difficult and very long song.” “The Ballet For a Girl in Buchannon,” aka “The Ballet and/or “Make Me Smile Medley,” can be found on several of Chicago’s live albums. The horns started things off robustly, delivering the intro. Bassist, Davis’ vocal contralto and intonation worked perfectly on the “Make Me Smile” portion. Midway through, the song transitioned smoothly into the next segment, “So Much to Say, So Much to Give.” Guitarist Marc Bonillla stepped in, delivering rich baritone vocals accented by his effortless guitar lines. The next piece was the instrumental, “Anxiety Moment,” which featured trumpet player Chris Gray. He stumbled at the beginning but started over and more than redeemed himself playing the piece flawlessly. Seraphine added some elaborate fills, and then the song bled right into another instrumental, “West Virginia Fantasies.” Then the stage went dark, and a single spotlight illuminated guitarist Marc Bonilla as he began a riveting guitar solo. I was mesmerized by Bonilla’s brilliantly orchestrated version of “Colour My World.” The solo was both melodic and powerful. Bonilla’s fingers effortlessly worked his fretboard, delivering a kaleidoscope of notes in an unparalleled technique. Marc Bonilla is a bonafide guitar genius who has worked with Keith Emerson, Ronnie Montrose, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Edgar Winter, and many others. He also earned an Emmy Nomination for compositional work in movies and television. Some of which include The Bourne Legacy, Green Lanter, Iron Man 2, Spiderman 2, ER, and the list goes on. Bonilla’s riveting solo evolved into the full version of “Colour My World.” Singer Tony Grant presented a slightly different phrasing coupled with his impeccable falsetto. I need to take a moment here to reveal that this song is not one of my favorites. However, I fell in love with this version which took the elements of the song to an intoxicating, exquisite realm. The song ended with Grant delivering an impressive extended acapella note followed by a beautiful run. Then the horns and drum fill transitioned the song to “To Be Free” Here, Seraphine threw down some complex drum beats and fills. The song finished off with “Now More Than Ever,” the prequel to “Make Me Smile,” which brought the piece full circle. It was an ambitious song, and the band performed it fantastically.
Marc Bonillla
The concert continued with “Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Getaway and Saturday in the Park, and they finished off with “25 or 6 to 4.” Bonilla played a wicked solo, lifting his strumming hand and took on the fretboard with two-handed fury. Seraphines drumming took on a crazy Buddy Rich feel, and then they brought the tempo down, and I’m pretty sure I heard a bit of Harrison’s guitar gently weeping. Then came the familiar riff with the audience participating, with shouts of “Hey” between the riffs. Grant’s vocals heightened, and he ended the song with a high-pitched power note……and then it was over. Wow!! What a show! I am an ardent fan of Chicago, and I have seen them in concert, and they are great. Still, after hearing Danny Seraphine and his band, CTA, perform Chicago’s music, I must say these phenomenally talented musicians raised the ceiling to an unimaginable height.
The added cherry on top was Seraphine’s stories and authentic connection with myself and fellow concertgoers. It created an atmosphere reminiscent of a bunch of friends listening to great music and telling stories by a cozy campfire. I highly recommend; actually I strongly urge you to see “Danny Seraphine’s Back to Chicago Show.” BackStage360 thanks Pala for their hospitality and providing great live music venues for music fanatics like myself. You can find more information about Danny Seraphine and CTA at www.dannyseraphine.com
Jen B. / BackStage360