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Meet
the Groove Crew® players:
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Galen
"Soul Man" Gordon
(Lead Vocals):
Galen got bit by the entertainment bug when he was 11 years
old. His first theatrical role was "Uncle Jed"
in his sixth grade play "Steamboatin'". He also
studied the arts of ballet, funk and jazz dancing. Since
that day, he has been involved in countless musical and
theatrical productions all over the Tri-State. As a Theater
Major at Wilmington College, Galen learned a deeper appreciation
and respect for the relationship between an entertainer
and his audience. "I want the audience to travel with
me. To be connected to my character in a play or to me when
I'm singing a song. It's got to be an experience... That's
what makes them want to come back!". Because Galen
wants to do the best for the people who come to see each
show, he continues to study musical influences like Wilson
Pickett, Luther Vandross, Dave Hollister, James Brown and
Bill Withers. He also continues to take vocal lessons from
Miss P. Ann Everson-Price.
Galen enjoys singing with
two community choirs, the Voices of Freedom and the Cincinnati
Super Choir. As a father of two young girls, he enjoys experiencing
their growth and successes. He is an avid fan of anything
Cincinnati! He hopes that everyone experiencing a performance
from the Groove Crew, "....feels an engagement
and connectedness to our show. We are bringing a totally
different mix to the people. We're not here just to sing
some songs on a stage. Our goal is to perform at the highest
level and make people dance all night. We are playing the
hits that other bands are afraid to touch."
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Joya
means Rejoicing!!
Melonie
"Joya" Kennedy (Lead
Vocals; Percussion): Joya is the first born daughter of
Curt and Georgia Davis. An Original Member of the Gospel
Group - "The Sylvertone Gospel Singers", of
Cincinnati, Ohio, Curt would take Melonie and her siblings
to the WCIN Radio Station every Sunday morning for their
"live broadcast". Watching her father sing "live"
on the radio (from the control booth) sparked a love of
singing, and she has been singing ever since. Melonie
has competed in The Hal Jackson International Talented
Teens and Miss Black Cincinnati Pageants and encourages
young ladies to participate is such pageants. Not only
does it showcase their talents, it also develops etiquette
and stage presence.
Joya's
vocal inspirations include, but are not limited to: Phyllis
Hyman, Teena Marie, and Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones
and the Dap Kings. Joya has lent her vocal and
writing skills to several local bands in the Tri-State
area including Jay's Experience, Out
of Order, Red Hounds Blues Band,
and Soul Progression.
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Danny
"dB" Berton (Bass
Guitar; Percussion): Coming
from a musical family, Danny started playing drums at the
age of 2, and was taking private drum lessons by the time
he was 8. There he studied jazz, funk, Latin, fusion, orchestral,
and military styles until he was 15. At that time he started
playing in clubs with musicians much older than him and
learning the ropes. By the time he hit high school he was
teaching as well as playing in several honors orchestras
and winning competitions all across the state. He later
relocated to Cincinnati and became a "studio rat".
In that time he decided to purchase a bass guitar and see
what would happen. It didn't take long for him to be able
to incorporate his bass playing into his studio projects,
as it was a relatively smooth transition for him. A few
years later he decided to set out and begin forming a band
based around the Funk/R&B/Soul format …which turned
into "Groove Crew".
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Jeff
Verrillo (Drums):
Born and raised in Central New York, Jeff has been playing
drums since the ripe old age of 10 under the tutelage of
his Dad, who played drums for several classic rock bands
in the Syracuse area. After relocating to Dayton, OH Jeff
decided to follow in his Dad's footsteps and started playing
drums in local bands such as Ground Zero,
Collusion, and Stereodose.
Jeff's influences range from such drummers as: Stuart Copeland
(The Police), John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Carter Beauford
(Dave Matthews Band), and Neil Peart (Rush). Jeff's equipment
includes Pearl Drums, Vic Firth sticks, Shure microphones,
and Evans drum heads.
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Matt
Arnold (Guitar;
Vocals; Percussion):
Matt has been in the Ohio music scene since the early eighties
as a percussionist, guitarist, bassist, singer, and sound
technician. He cut his musical teeth as a drummer in classic
rock bands back when it wasn't called classic rock, then
moved on to play guitar and front pop and indie rock bands
in the 80s and 90s. In more recent years, he's worked as
a bassist and guitarist in local swing and dance bands.
These days, you might catch him in a coffee house some evening
adding world percussion and vocals to acoustic performances
when he's not on the road with the Groove Crew.
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Saul
"Super" Schneider (Piano; Keyboards): Saul
has played the piano professionally in Cincinnati, Vermont,
Boston and San Antonio, Texas. His influences are Rock 'n Roll,
Jazz, and Blues. For the last two years, Saul played keyboard
in the Cincinnati Area for the Smooth Jazz Ensemble, Ms. Jaz.
Saul is thrilled to be part of Groove Crew, playing
the music he has always loved and danced to. This music is in
Saul's soul, music that has been the soundtrack to his life.
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