Dennis Chandleraka Piano Man / Guitar Man… Cleveland's Musical Chameleon

Bookings: “GLENN SCHWARTZ /SCHWARTZ BROTHERS BAND”
aka “GLENN & DEN TOGETHER AGAIN” Gigs

Thurs. Feb. 23, 2012.. Major Hoopples in the Flats
TBC… Mar………… Beachland Ballroom Robert Lockwood Birthday
Fri. Mar. 16, 2012.. Beachland Tavern
Thurs. Mar. 29, 2012.. Major Hoopples in the Flats
Fri. June 1, 2012.. Thompson Drag Raceway (Gene Schwartz will be racing, too)

FOLLOW UP on last gig (2/18/2012).. Beachland Ballroom was SOLD-OUT with a FULL HOUSE (of 400 according to staff/ management at Beachland). The next gig there will be THE ROBERT LOCKWOOD BIRTHDAY BASH, details will be posted as they become available.

SUMMER PLAYING GIGS … Thanks goes to JOHN E. DOUGLAS CRUSIN’ TIMES MAGAZINE… For booking the first weekend in June @ THOMPSON DRAG RACEWAY… SBB PLAYS and GENE SCHWARTZ, a winning professional dragster, is racing, too. Paul, Gene, Glenn & Den Together Again. Fasten those seat belts.

Here’s a bit of their history together… and why these “brothers” have many local folks looking forward to seeing them play together again. Both were friends from their childhood days (raised in Euclid, Ohio). Both were bandmates in their youth, in their band called THE PILGRIMS. They, along with drummer RON HARKAI and the late PETE DRAGAS on bass became a popular regional band in the ’60s.
Then when THE PILGRIMS started playing around the DETROIT/ WINDSOR area; they were asked to serve as RADIO POWERHOUSE CKLW’s HOUSEBAND. Those Detroit days made BANDLEADER DENNIS learn how to “stand and deliver”, so to speak. (More background is detailed in a longer bio on this website.)

As for GLENN SCHWARTZ… he too kept growing. He soared in his artistic approach on guitar (and why Den dubbed him GLENN GUITAR… A GIFT FROM GOD). Their growing popularity saw The Pilgrims-as-houseband not only open; but also play back up to many new musical acts. Why? The powers-that-be at HITSVILLE and later MOTOWN were booking via CKLW. That’s how the Pilgrims got to open a sold-out ROLLING STONES concert (at Detroit’s Cobo Hall).

What happened to the Pilgrims next? Untimely served draft notices caused them to disband, pardon the pun. Thus that promised contract to be the first white band signed to Motown… went unsigned. When they returned to Cleveland after their stints in the military, they briefly reformed a version of The Pilgrims, and then formed a band called The Beat Rats (first booking was for the Grand Opening of Diamond Jim’s, incidentally in Cleveland’s Flats).

Then they both went playing in other local bands. Then they did go through revolving doors of Jimmy Fox’s rock group, the early James Gang. Dennis preceded Glenn who preceded Joe Walsh, who, well, you get the idea. Of course, that’s the configuration most famous the one with those respected rockers and friends of both Glenn and Den… Fox, Peters and Walsh. (Sounds like a law firm, eh?) Speaking of sounds like… Check out the WKYC show called “Soundcheck”. Go and Google it. Fox and Peters gives an in depth history of that band because of all the interest they get, deservedly. Rock on, guys.

Back to about Glenn. He went on to the West Coast. Joined Pacific Gas & Electric (the band not the power company) and became a power rocker himself. They had the hit recording “Are You Ready”. Much has been written about those years so suffice-it-to-say here, I’ll research more so as to get the right info and will post at another date what’s pertinent (for the coming creative projects as it all relates).

As for Glenn and Den together again? It wasn’t until the mid-’90s that the two played together again. It happened when GENE SCHWARTZ (an award-winning professional dragster) went car cruising with BROTHER GLENN. He brought him out to a classic car cruise where Dennis was playing. Both Schwartz brothers had their guitars with them. With Mitch Renko on drums, Gene on bass, Glenn on guitar, Dennis doubling on guitar and later keyboards… it was just like the old days. It was a wonderful night of fun and fellowship. One can see the JOY in their eyes… Just look at the photograph of the two of them… and Glenn is looking right at you!
(About that photograph… Folks are amazed that “Glenn let you take his picture.. How?” Simply put, they had made a joyful noise, so to speak, and Glenn was SO happy. There he was smiling and saying “Well, c’mon now, Liz.. Take the picture!” He is such a gracious, humble man. That photograph brings it all back. Thank you, Glenn).

It was a sad occasion the next time the Schwartz brothers and Dennis Chandler saw another; the funeral of Robert Lockwood. Gene, Glenn and Den had known the pioneer bluesman both as a friend and mentor. Plus they all had played in Robert Jr. Lockwood’s band at one time or another. (Robert Jr. is what he was called back in the day; the stepson of the great Robert Johnson. He was the folkloric blues figure at the center of the “Crossroads” myth). But, it was as BB King’s teacher that Robert Lockwood was first introduced to Dennis.. By BB King. And tracing the threads even farther back… it was Glenn Schwartz who first introduced Dennis Chandler to BB King. (He and another mutual childhood friend, George Foster, snuck Dennis into a Cleveland nightclub called Gleason’s to “hear this guy called BB King”. Talk about the threads in God’s Tapestry!)

But, back to the future… What happened when Glenn and Den got together again on Sept. 9, 2011? Here’s what one reviewer said about the first time they played (at Mike’s Barn in Elyria, Ohio). To quote “TZ” in part… “As the song ended, Glenn Schwartz told the cheering crowd, “This is a VERY SPECIAL NIGHT. ONE THAT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN A LONG WHILE, PERHAPS ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME!… We’re going to play ’til morning!” (More roaring approval from the crowd).

Here we go again… Glenn Schwartz, along with bass-playing brother GENE SCHWARTZ, drummer PAUL O’BRIEN and now Dennis, take the music to a higher place and their audiences, too. Both young and old alike… it is amazing to see. Their playing on these engagements is special indeed, to say the least. Just ask those olde loyal followers of SB band. Just ask those new followers of SB band. OR you can just ask the following (pun intended) club owners… Mike’s Barn owner Michael Yates, Beachland Ballroom & Tavern owner Cindy Barber and Major Hoopples.
Soo… For those mutual friends and musician-friends…for those present and past… looks like prayers were heard. Come and enjoy GOD’s Gift of Music through these “BROTHERS”.

(A joyful footnote here… That Angel Lockwood must be watching over the guys and his old amp, too. How happy he must be that it’s Glenn who’s got it. We know we are.)

Liz Chandler, Webwriter
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Dennis Chandler
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