The group's next album, Let The Music Play (1981), featured the minor hit single "Knock! Knock!", reaching the Top 50. They had their first hit with "Shake It Up" in 1980.ĭazz's first album for Motown was Invitation to Love (1980), a self-produced set, whose title track, the ballad "Invitation to Love", began a string of hits for the band starting in March 1981. The group expanded from the original quintet - Harris, Calhoun, Pettus, and the Wiley brothers - with newcomers Kevin Kendrick, Steve Cox, Eric Fearman, Pierre DeMudd, Sonny "Skip" Martin, Jerry Bell and Terry Stanton. Separately, the 20th Century Records label was closed, and the Dazz Band was signed to Motown Records.
The Kinsman Dazz became the Dazz Band in 1980. They released their first single, "I Might as Well Forget About Loving You", in late 1978. Bailey would co-produce the second album, Dazz, and had a major input into the group's vocal arrangements. Harris requested and got Philip Bailey, the vocalist of Earth, Wind & Fire, to produce the group's first album, Kinsman Dazz. Owing to illness, Gaye had to back out of the duties. The group went to Los Angeles to record for producer Marvin Gaye. Kinsman Dazz was signed to 20th Century Records by Joe Lewis in 1978. The group adopted its name before the song "Dazz" became an R&B hit for Atlanta's Brick in 1976.
・2017 Breath Easy (EP) / JackEL feat.The Dazz Band, formed in 1976, grew out of the Cleveland, Ohio, jazz fusion band Bell Telefunk, composed of Bobby harris (founder)lead guitarist/songwriter Mike Calhoun, percussionist Kenny Pettus, drummer Isaac "Ike" Wiley, Jr., and his brother bassist Michael Wiley, and the band Mother BraintreeThe group became known as Kinsman Dazz, named after both the street and the lounge where they worked as the house band: Sonny Jones' Kinsman Grill Lounge.
・2013 Designated Planets / Tom Shuman feat. ・2015 Two Hearts (Nikki Phoenix, Skip Martin, JACAELD PHONENIX ・2000 Tom Joyner Presents The UWF All Starts Live Martin has also received an Honorary Degree of Doctor in Music, Lifetime Achievement Award from the African American Music Association, Living Legend Award from the Black Music Academy. In his career he released six consecutive Top 100 albums and two Top 100 singles. With Kool & the Gang he achieved Platinum record and with the Dazz Band he achieved Platinum & Gold records. His first solo jazz CD, Miles High features Ronnie Laws, Wayman Tisdale, Al McKay, Rickey Lawson and Bruce Conte. Later he won “Outstanding Trumpet Soloist” at the Monterey Jazz Festival whilst in high school. Martin’s love of jazz started at the age of eleven, and he learned trumpet. With the Dazz Band he won a Grammy Award for the song “Let It Whip”. Before those groups he was lead singer for the East Wind Band and then he was lead singer for the Mighty Generation Band. He is a lead vocalist, trumpet player, songwriter and producer who was formerly lead vocalist for Kool & The Gang (1987–2007) and the Dazz Band. Sennie "Skip" Martin III (born June 25, 1957, in San Francisco, California, U.S.) is an American musician, now based in Las Vegas.