The Story of... . The Rayvens
Chuck Maschi, Lead Guitar Mike Jodry, Rhythm Guitar Ron Ottino, Drums Jim Borland, Bass
August, 1981... The Rayvens play at a New York State club, "The Interlude".
The previous Spring, Mike and Jim looked for a Lead Guitar player and found.. Chuck! The three Rayvens rehearsed in a church hall for months before trying out the new Rock and Roll songs with a drummer. Rehearsals then moved to Sticks Ottino's basement untill the new, Rayvens band was ready for a show at the Interlude.
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Mike Jodry Chuck Maschi Jim Borland Jimmy Faivre
Ron Ottino, Erich Berg and Steven Gabe kept the beat going for the band until.... Jimmy Faivre became the first, full-time Rayvens drummer. By this time,The Rayvens could be found weekends at Eddie's in Englewood. This is when the band was approached by a Columbian playboy to perform in his relatives' clubs, maybe Bogata. Mike, Jim, Chuck and Jimmy Faivre all secured passports and the only thing that saved their lives was the mysterious dissapperance of the young Columbian. Jimmy Faivre stayed with the group 'till The Windchasers reformed in the winter. Next we meet... Johnny O.
Mike Jodry, Jim Borland, Chuck Maschi.. were joined by Ron Ottino for the first two shows.
Mike, Chuck, Jim and Jimmy Faivre; '81
Johnny Cevasco Chuck Maschi Mike Jodry Jim Borland
Gibson 345, stereo model Rickenbacker 481 Hagstrom "Swede" Slingerland, 4 piece
Ross Docks show, the encore... the tide came in and the audience had to wade into their cars. No wonder the shows were only 'till 10:00...
Johnny Cevasco, Chuck, Mike and Jimmy on "Reel to Reel" - Spring of '82
Ross Docks, Summer of '82
Eddies Do Drop In, Summer '82
Chuck's green, '67 Dodge van became the Rayvens main ride in the early '80's.
Johnny Cevasco was a Rayven all of 1982 (a very fruitful year of studio recording and cable TV). Recording at Wooly Mamoth (Bill Willis' studio) and Destiny Sound in Englewood, the band still sounded best on stage. Bill Willis had been recording The Windchasers (Burntvegetables) and then started doing the sound for The Rayvens in the Fall of '81. This started a life-long friendship and made the band's vocals better than ever.
Johnny Cevasco
Johnny Cevasco at Eddies
"Mall Shopping" "Pretty Little Baby" "Braindeath" "Make Her Mine" "Hold On" "Can't be a Kid" "It isn't Fair" "It ain't My Birthday" "Get Your Gun" "Gimme a Break" "Spend Some Time" and Johnny's, "Often Wonder" were the Rayvens own songs from '81- '82. In addition to real roots Rock and Roll tunes, The Rayvens were always making up their own songs. This was not the radio play-list that some of the other local bands were dealing out in the Northern New Jersey clubs. In 1982, Eddies started to pay half of the newspaper advertising for the band... and the following grew larger.
One of the many Rayvens posters to be found on poles around Bergen County in the '80's.
Ron Ottino