The Robert Cornelius Seven was founded in 1998 by Robert Cornelius (vocals) and Jesse Richardson (bumpin’ bass) after a particularly odd show Robert was doing out at Frankie’s Blue Room in Naperville. Having been put together with a group of blues musicians, Robert felt they weren’t compatible and at 2:00 in the morning on the way back to Chicago, he called his cousin Jesse and told him he had a month to get a band together. We had a rehearsal the next day and our first gig at Schuba’s Tavern a week later. Robert was with Poi Dog Pondering at the time, and recruited a couple of his bandmates to be in the original line up. When we began we had Paul Mertens (saxophone, flute, harmonica, coolness), Arlene Newson (vocals), Leddie Garcia (percussion extraordinaire), along with Chip DuBose (guitar hero), who has so many major credits on his resume, Rick Gehrenbeck (killer keyboards), Ron Lambert (drums), Chris Robinson (keyboards and vocals-the prodigy), and Eric Buehlman (vocals and management). Line up changes over the years have included John Bose (horns), YL Douglas (drums), Khari Parker (killer drums-left us for Destiny’s Child), as well as present members Kina Clayton (vocals), Chip DuBose III (drums), and Roger Harris (keyboards). The band has played just about every venue in Chicago, including a four year stint as house band at Schuba’s Tavern, Fitzgerald’s (with Mavis Staples), Metro, The Vic, Park West, Martyrs, House of Blues (opening for Average White Band), Navy Pier (on their own and with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin), Subterranean, and just about every summer festival you can name. Their first record was a self released disc in 2001 titled To Your Soul, a live recording (thank you Timothy Powell) and their only cd to date. The band is currently hard at work on the long awaited follow up, due out this summer, and is gearing up to play a lot more live shows than they have in the past few years. Lastly we get asked about the seven a lot. There is more significance to it than just the number of band members, but if we told you, we would have to kill you, and we are NOT a violent band, except when it comes to grooves.