DANNY SERAPHINE AND CTA
In the beginning, there was Chicago Transit Authority. Danny Seraphine, along with his bandmates set out to change the face of Rock and Roll by creating a rock band with horns. Shortening the band name to Chicago in 1969, the band continued on, becoming one of the most successful American bands in RIAA and Billboard chart history (second only to the Beach Boys), and are one of the most successful popular music acts of all time.
During Seraphine’s tenure with the band, Chicago scored 20 top 10 hits, (5 reaching #1) and 10 Grammy nominations. He is considered the father of jazz rock drumming, driving the music with his iconic, signature style. Rolling Stone magazine ranks him as one of the top 100 drummers of all time, and Larry Thomas, the former CEO of Guitar Center, calls him one of the top 5 best living drummers. Seraphine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, and in 2020, he received the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Seraphine was recognized by ASCAP as a co-writer of Pitbull's Billboard #2 hit, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)".
In 2006, Danny picked up his sticks again, and formed California Transit Authority (CTA) with guitarist Marc Bonilla and Keyboardist Ed Roth.
Bonilla has produced, recorded or performed with such artists as Ronnie Montrose, Eddie Jobson, David Coverdale, Edgar Winter, Sammy Hagar, and Keith Emerson and has composed and performed for such TV shows and films as “The Bourne Legacy,” “Iron Man 2,” “Spider-Man 2,” “ER” and “Justified.” Ed Roth has recorded and/or performed with a wide variety of artists including Robby Krieger and John Densmore (the Doors), Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Annie Lennox, Shelby Lynne, Sophie B. Hawkins, The Brothers Johnson, Tom Morello, and Glenn Hughes. In all, Roth has recorded and/or performed with 12 Grammy winning artists. As a solo artist, his albums have attained a Top 25 iTunes Jazz album, a Top 100 JazzWeek album and a Billboard top 100 jazz song of the year.
In 2018, Temptation's singer Tony Grant joined the lineup, making this iteration the most powerful and dynamic in the band’s history. The Grammy nominee has recorded a version of the Chicago hit song “You’re the Inspiration” with original Chicago vocalist Peter Cetera (along with Az Yet). Grant has performed with such artists as Brian McKnight, Dr. Dre, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, James Brown, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder and Harry Connick Jr.
CTA’s “Take Me Back to Chicago” tour features a dynamic horn section and the iconic hits of Chicago, including all-out rockers “25 or 6 to 4” and “I’m A Man,” pop hits “Saturday In The Park” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and chart-topping ballads “Hard Habit To Break” and “You’re The Inspiration”.
