The Calvaes

Top: James Williams ,James Bailey; Bottom: Donald Coles, James Zeke Brown, Paul Morgan.

The Calvaes (Chicago)

Personnel :

James "Zeke" Brown (Lead)

James Bailey

Paul Morgan

Donald "Duck" Coles

Donald Handley

Discography :

The Calvaes
1956- Fine Girl / Mambo Fiesta (Cobra 5003)
1957 - Born With Rhythm / Lonely, Lonely Village (Cobra 5014)

Oscar Boyd & The Calvaes
1959 - Anna Macora / So bad (Checker 928)

Biography :

The Calvaes was a little young group out of the Dearborn Homes, on the Twenty-ninth and thirtieth blocks of state street. They came under the management of Ted Daniels, one of the top guys then working with groups. Cobra Records was started on Chicago's West Side in 1956 by Eli Toscano . Toscano chose to release four sides on the group. The first pairing was two jumps, "Fine Girl" and "Mambo Fiesta," in which the group sing well on routine material.

The Calvaes  played the Jim Lounsbury Memorial Auditorium show in September 1956 and the Fitzhugh Thanksgiving show at the Trianon that year, sharing the stage with the other Cobra acts. They were able to play at two Sam Evans promotions: in September 1956, at a prestigious show at the Trianon, where they were on the bill with Ray Charles, Chuck Willis, J. B. Lenore, and Nate Nelson , and in February 1957, at a midnight show at the Central Park Theater, sharing the bill with Andre Williams, Jimmy Rogers, John Lee Hooker, Kool Gents, and Otis Rush .

 In July, Cobra released a second pairing, again two jumps, "Born with Rhythm" and "Lonely Lonely Village," both sides written by Daniels. The Calvaes were able to linger for a couple more years, and they got a record out on Chess in 1958, "Anna Macora" backed by "So Bad." "Anna Macora" made the Cobra sides sound like masterpieces, and "So Bad," in which the artists were billed as "Oscar Boyd and the Calvaes" . Robert Pruter (Doo wop, The Chicago scene)

Songs :

The Calvaes

   
Born With Rhythm / Lonely, Lonely Village       Fine Girl / Mambo Fiesta

Oscar Boyd & The Calvaes

   
Anna Macora                                             So Bad

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