Hazy Dave and the Mission Band : Member's Bio's
Featuring the real "Hazy Davey" made famous in Springsteen's 'Spirit in the Night.
Hazy Dave and the Mission Band performs Classic Rock, Dance Grooves, and a splash of Roadhouse style Blues.
Mike is a Virtuoso on his Strat, giving a Master Class on Beer Bottle Slide technique.
John's Spot-On vocals and Sizzling Rock Organ soar high and clear.
Kelly and Dave on the Bass and Drums add the Driving Rock and Blues rhythm with overtones of Funk.
The man responsible for the beat, "Hazy Dave" is the leader of the band. Made famous in Bruce Springsteen's song "Spirit In The Night", Dave played in Bruce's band Steel Mill for a time in the early 70's, as well as his own band, Mercy Flight (featuring Robbin Thompson on vocals) which did numerous shows with Springsteen. Dave's professional resume is too lengthy to list here, but feel free to look him up on the internet. Having recorded with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Lucky Cakes, and a host of other groups, "Hazy Dave" is still making history.
John studied music at Shenandoah University and performed in Europe and U.S. under the direction of Grammy® Award winner Robert Shafer. John performed in ensembles accompanied by the Richmond Symphony and at the Sacred Heart Cathedral and the Kennedy Center. He also performed in the 25th Anniversary of JFKs Funeral at St. Mathews Cathedral and also Bonn, Germanys 2000th Anniversary Official Celebration.
John brings solid Lead Vocals and a sizzling Keyboard sound to the group. He also has a fresh perspective on many arrangements.
Michael Schvenski has been playing guitar since the age of 14. He played blues in Southwest Florida with The Cobalt Blues Band for 8 years, and with well known musicians, such as harmonica all-star "Shakey Ray" Diaz and Legendary bottle slide guitar virtuoso "Beer Bottle Bobby" Nickeson. He has also been featured with formidable Florida acts like The Mambo Brothers, The Juice, Danny Sheppard, & Cleanhead. His seamless fusion of blues / rock styles, excellent command of dynamics, magnetic personality, and outstanding showmanship have established him as a force to be reckoned.
Mike is a real crowd pleaser, and brings his kinetic performances to Hazy Dave and the Mission Band.
Kelly has been playing bass around the Richmond music scene for 10 years with acts such as Murphy’s Kids and Zero One.
Kelly offers a rock and roll style mixed with the occasional funk influence seeping through the cracks.
His bass technique, coupled with Hazy Dave’s straight ahead drumming, offers a strong foundation.
Our Sound Man: Bo Jacob
Bo began playing drums in elementary school bands. At 16 he bought his first drum set, a 1966 Ludwig Classic, like Ringo’s, with money from a champion Hereford steer he raised and showed, then sold to a meat packing company. There was only one problem…turned out he wasn’t a very good drummer. So, he decided at age 19 to work for a local drummer (who happened to be Hazy Dave) as a roadie. From then on it has been one hell of a ride. Over his (admittedly more than) forty years in the music world, he has been on tour with such varied artists as Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Blood Sweat and Tears, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Andy Gibb, The Dregs, Little River Band, Kris Kristofferson, and War, to name a few. He even toured with P-Funk for almost a year on their “Earth Tour.” Bo was Harry Chapin’s FOH engineer when Bo set his personal touring record of 19 shows in 17 cities in 18 days. After Harry, he was hired by Janis Ian as her Road Manager and FOH engineer. His greatest gig has been his 36-year professional and personal relationship with Randy Newman. Starting with a US tour in 1977, he has traveled multiple times to Europe, Japan, Australia, and most of the US and Canada as Randy’s Production Manager and most recently as Tour Manager. His last two tours were with Randy during his return to Australia in 2011 and Europe in 2012. When he is not touring, Bo says he loves working with the guys of the Mission Band and hopes they will keep him around for a while.
