Nick Gravenites

Nick Gravenites
Gravenites playing to the crowd, 2006 Photo: Louis Ramirez
Background information
Also known as	Nick "The Greek"
Born	October 2, 1938 (1938-10-02) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Rock, blues, rock and roll, folk rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer
Labels	Columbia, Warner Bros., Taxim Records, Line Records, Music Box, 2Burn1 Records
Associated acts	Big Brother And The Holding Company, John Cipollina, Paul Butterfield Blues Band,
Website	Nick Gravenites.com
Notable instruments
guitar

Nicholas George Gravenites (pronounced /ɡrævɨˈnaɪtɨs/; born October 2, 1938, Chicago, Illinois), with stage names like Nick "The Greek" Gravenites and Gravy, is a blues, rock and folk singer–songwriter, and is best known for his work with Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield and several influential bands and names of the generation springing from the 1960s and 1970s. He currently resides in Occidental, California.

Career

According to author and pop music critic Joel Selvin, Gravenites is "the original San Francisco connection for the Chicago crowd." Gravenites is credited as a "musical handyman" helping such San Francisco bands as Quicksilver Messenger Service and Janis Joplin's first solo group, the Kosmic Blues Band. Gravenites also worked extensively with John Cipollina after producing the first Quicksilver Messenger Service album. He and Cipollina formed the Nick Gravenites–John Cipollina Band which toured a lot in Europe.

When the band Big Brother and the Holding Company reformed from 1969 to 1972 (without Janis Joplin), Nick was the lead singer.

Gravenites was also a songwriter for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which consisted of Elvin Bishop, Paul Butterfield, Sam Lay and Michael Bloomfield, then formed The Electric Flag with Butterfield guitarist Mike Bloomfield. Gravenites is also responsible for writing the score for The Trip, produced the music for the movie Steelyard Blues. He produced the pop hit "One Toke Over the Line" for Brewer & Shipley and the album Right Place, Wrong Time for Otis Rush, for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award. Together with John Kahn, Gravenites produced the album 'Not mellowed with Age' by Southern Comfort (CBS S 64125 - 1970). Over the years, Gravenites would often use pianist Pete Sears in his band "Animal Mind", including on his 1980 Blue Star album on which Sears played keyboards and bass. They also played together in front of 100,000 people on Earth Day 1990 at Crissy Field, San Francisco. Sears also joined him for a tour of Greece.

He still performs live in northern California. Gravenites was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2003 for his song "Born In Chicago". He recently toured with the Chicago Blues Reunion and a new Electric Flag Band.

Discography

Albums

• 1968 Long Time Comin' The Electric Flag
• 1969 My Labours
• 1970 Be A Brother Big Brother and the Holding Company
• 1972 Joplin In Concert
• 1973 Steelyard Blues OST
• 1980 Blue Star (Line Records)
• 1982 Monkey Medicine The Nick Gravenites John Cipollina Band
• 1991 Live At The Rodon Nick Gravenites and John Cipollina (Music Box)
• 1996 Don't Feed The Animals
• 1999 Kill My Brain
• 2005 Buried Alive In The Blues (live)

External links

• Official Nick Gravenites Website
• Chicago Blues Reunion Band official site
• 1994 Interview
• Autobiography