Jimmy and the Soulblazers (also known as Change and Clockwork) are an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soul

Soul music

Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 and funk

Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 band from Alliance, Ohio

Alliance, Ohio

Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....

. Since 1966 they have played for audiences across the East Coast and Midwest of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Career

Signed with Kapp Records

Kapp Records

Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...

 (a division of MCA Records

MCA Records

MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...

, now Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

) in 1970 as Change, they released two singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

. In 1972, they called themselves The Joneses, and combined their Motown and R&B

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

 with more rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 songs and their own compositions. Although they were still performing as The Joneses, in 1973 they released a supposedly self-titled album of original songs and covers

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

, Clockwork on Greene Bottle Records, a division of Famous Music

Famous Music

Famous Music was the worldwide music publishing division of Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom since 1994. Its copyright holdings span several decades and includes music from such Academy Award-winning motion pictures as The Godfather and Forrest Gump...

. Clockwork was re-released in 2010, on the Homespun Records

Homespun Records

Homespun Records is the original record company of Rick Cassidy. Started in 1967 by Patrick Cassidy . The first album was The Commonwealth's "The Best In Caucasian Soul" LIVE. In 1975 Rick Cassidy released his contemporary...

 label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

.

Their vocals and musicianship have kept them a regional favorite for many years. In 2002, a new album, It's About Time, was released. A mixture of Motown hits with a few lesser known soul tunes, it also featured the Soulblazers' longtime cover of "With A Little Help From My Friends

With a Little Help from My Friends

-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...

", a blues tune, and a cover of "Grazin' In The Grass." They also have added a horn section to their lineup.

They have been the opening act for Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the O'Jays

The O'Jays

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...

, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...

, Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep (band)

Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...

, Gladys Knight & the Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips

Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...

, Sly & the Family Stone

Sly & the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...

, James Gang

James Gang

The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. Though the band was not a huge commercial success, except in the Northeast Ohio area, the fame garnered by guitarist Joe Walsh has since made the group more notable.- History :...

, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, the Four Tops, Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

, Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli

Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...

, and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels.

Current lineup

• Jimmy Korleski - Lead Vocals, Composer
• Mike Duruttya - Saxophone, Vocals, Composer
• Bill McCrea - Congas, Vocals, Composer
• Dave Sorge - Guitar, Vocals
• Bill Hawley - Bass guitar
• George Nutial - Keyboards, Vocals
• Mike Bugara - Guitar, Vocals, Composer
• Johnny Sineri - Drums
• Brian Burse - Trumpet
• David Kolinski-Schultz - Tenor/Baritone Saxophone, Arranger
• Josh DeVore - Trombone

Former members

• John Fugate - Bass guitar
• Gary Zeigler - Bass
• Bill White - Organ
• John Adams - Guitar, Vocals
• Tom Stebbins - Keyboards

Singles

• "Santa Fe Stage" (Sabatino, Marshall) / "Ballad Of Oliver David Jones (1st Movement)" (McCrea, Bugara) - Change, Kapp Records (MCA/UMG) (Kapp 2157), 1971
• "Country Side Woman" (McCrea, Bugara) / "Hitchcock Railway (Live At The Agora)" (Dunn, McCashen) - Change, Kapp Records (MCA/UMG) (Kapp 2181), 1972

Albums

• Clockwork Greene Bottle Records (GBS 1013), 1973
  • 1."Music Box" (M. Bugara / B. McCrea) Bill McCrea, Lead Vocals
  • 2."Hazy Shade of Winter" (P. Simon) Jimmy Korleski / Mike Duruttya, Lead Vocals
  • 3."Nothing Left For Me" (M. Bugara / B. McCrea) Bill McCrea, Lead Vocals
  • 4."Hitchcock Railway" (D.L. Dunn / T.L. McCashew) Mike Duruttya ,Lead Vocal
  • 5."After Today" (J. Korleski) Jimmy Korleski, Lead Vocals
  • 6."Now That You Know" (M. Duruttya) Mike Duruttya, Lead Vocals
  • 7."Bye Bye Lady" (M. Duruttya / J. Korleski) Jimmy Korleski, Lead Vocals
  • 8."Country Side Woman" (M. Bugara / B. McCrea) Bill McCrea, Lead Vocals
  • 9."Rock "N" Roll Woman" (S. Stills) Mike Duruttya, Lead Vocals

• It's About Time (CD), 2002
  • 1."What Are You Gonna Do When I'm Gone" (W. Robinson Jr.)
  • 2."Turn Back The Hands Of Time" (J. Daniels / J. Moore)
  • 3."I'm So Glad I Found You" (G. Kerr / L. Roberts / V. Kern)
  • 4."Grazin' In The Grass" (P. Hou / H. Elston)
  • 5."Going Out Of My Head" (Cook / Quenton / Leo)
  • 6."Ain't That Peculiar" (Moore / Robinson / Rogers / Tarpin)
  • 7."Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" (S. May / N. Whitfield / C. Grant)
  • 8."Come Get These Memories" (Holland / Dozier / Holland)
  • 9."With A Little Help From My Friends" (Lennon / McCartney)
  • 10."With This Ring" (R. Wylie / L. Dixon / T. Hester)
  • 11."Take Me In Your Arms" (Holland / Dozier / Holland)
  • 12."Cowboys To Girls" (Gamble / Huff)
  • 13."Baby I'm For Real" (A. Gaye / M. Gaye)
  • 14."Playin' With My Friends" (Cray / Walker)