Raven was a rock band with blues and soul influences, formed in 1967 in Buffalo, New York, and active until 1970.
It was composed of Tony Galla (lead vocals), Jim Calire (piano/vocals), Gary Mallaber (drums), John Weitz (guitar), and Tom Calandra (bass guitar). Managed by Marty Angelo, the band played throughout the United States, appearing at such popular venues as the Electric Circus, the Fillmore East, Steve Paul's Scene, Unganos in New York City, the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, Chicago's Kinetic Playground, and many others.[1]
The group formed after Stan Szelest's group Stan and the Ravens broke up in 1967. Two of its members, Calandra and Mallaber, joined Galla, Weitz, and Calire, in the group Tony Galla and the Rising Sons. In 1968, they changed the name of their group to simply Raven. Raven toured in England in 1969 and were offered a recording contract by George Harrison via Peter Asher with Apple Records. They turned it down to sign with Columbia Records instead. Although they played at the Woodstock Sound-Outs a year earlier, they declined invitations to appear at the Woodstock and Isle of Wight Festivals.
