Professors, The (1995 - present): Academically influenced blues/rock/heavy metal quintet, noted for their "driving melange of Polish, English and American inflections" (Ralph J. Gleason).

Colonel Nick Belkin

Robert Kubey (drums; ex-VIRGIN FOREST), T-ski (lead guitar) and Gary Radford (rhythm guitar; ex-SOSOSTRIS, ALLEY-CATS, FABULOUS TECHTONES) formed the nucleus of band, BLUES DOCTORS (aka TENURED BLUES), Highland Park, NJ, Spring 1995. Brought together by Colonel NICK BELKIN. First gig (an instrumental set influenced by the music of STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, ALBERT COLLINS, and JIMI HENDRIX) at the Belkin estate, Highland Park, NJ, resulted in a police response and three arrests.

Late Summer, 1995, founded THE PROFESSORS. Joined by Stephen Cooper (bass; ex-SWEET POISON, TIM McLOONE AND THE ATLANTIC COAST BAND, MANGOES, GILDERSLEEVE, ALTHA COOK, STOCKYARD, VILLAGE GENTLEMEN, TOM ELLIOTT, CHATTER). Farewell Gig performed at the T-Ski Arena, with guest appearance by the THREE DANCING POLISH WOMEN , August 1995.

Kubey leaves for Stanford University, CA, for one year. Briefly reformed late 60s band, VIRGIN FOREST. Summer 1996, Kubey returns from Stanford. Professors joined by Jennifer Lehr (vocals; ex-BLUE STREAK).

May 25, 1996, played the infamous Reunion Gig at the Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Chicago, IL. Special guest appearance by Craig Brown (drums). Premiere performances of three original songs - Unabomer (T-Ski), The Bottle (Radford/Marshall) and Retro (T-Ski/Radford/Kubey) - and the original John Lennon/Luthor Allison fusion, Crippled Inside. Produce first studio recording at Dress Rehearsals, West Hubbard Street, Chicago; the site of recordings made by STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN.

Period of intense email communication followed, almost resulting in dissolution of band. Original songs written during this period include Crap (T-Ski), Professors Blues (T-Ski), Anger is a Gift (T-Ski), Breakers (Radford), Holiday Inn (Radford), and Foucault Funk: The Michel Foucault Postmodern Blues (Radford/Cooper/Radford/Foucault).

March 8, 1997, play at School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies, Rutgers University, New Jersey. In a shock turn of events, T-Ski is unable to perform at this gig because of health reasons and the Professors are forced to play as a quartet at very short notice. Doug Frank, reporter with the Rutgers Focus, sits in on harmonica. Radford debuts his song Breakers. Following the set, friends of the Professors take part in a lively jam session which had the audience dancing and shouting for more. Silvio Waisbord of Rutgers University took a turn on lead guitar, much to the delight of a partisan Rutgers crowd. Gary Brill of GLASS PLANET took over the skins from Kubey for the spirited jam. Finally, the Professors were honored to have the legendary blues-rock guitarist JON PARIS lead a brilliant set of rock-and-roll standards, with superlative support on bass from Steve Cooper, which left the crowd screaming for encores. The evening ended with Gary's daughter, Meg Radford, taking the microphone and giving a beautiful performance of The Sammy Song, a song about her stuffed dog Sammy written with her Dad.

At the Inaugural Conference of the New Jersey Communication Association, Montclair State University, NJ, April 26, 1997, a freak, campus-wide power failure, likely induced by comet Hale-Bopp, prevented an awesome performance by the band.

June 19, 1997, The Professors debut in New York City at Kenny's Castaways, Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village. Playing in front of a packed house, the Professors thrilled the audience with a spectacular set including such favorites as You Haven't Hurt Me, Unabomer, and the premiere performance of T-Ski's heavy metal tour de force Crap.

Fall 1997, play 2-venue College Tour. September 2, 1997, play William Paterson University's University Day celebrations outdoors in blazing heat.

September 12, 1997, play the infamous 3 Sets to Love set at the Busch Campus Student Center, Rutgers University. This gig was unique in that it consisted of three distinctive sets being played within one hour. The first set featured T-Ski on lead guitar and consisted of Five Long Years, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Dark and Stormy Day, and rap version of Crap featuring T-Ski's son, M-Ski, and two of his friends. Tomasz left the stage following "Crap" and the remaining band members played a short set consisting of Crippled Inside, Foucault Funk, and You Oughta Know. "Mississippi" John Barrows gave a superlative debut performance on the blues harmonica. JON PARIS joined the band on Knock on Wood in his second appearance with The Professors. Jon led an incredible half-hour set of rock-and-roll classics such as Twist and Shout, Gloria, Peter Gunn, In the Midnight Hour, Roadrunner, and a rousing finale of Chuck Berry's Johhny B. Goode.

October 13, 1997, John Barrows (harp, rhythm guitar, banjo, drums; ex-AXIS BLUES BAND, MR. FUN, THE AIR BAND, BOB CHAMBERS BAND) officially becomes a member of The Professors and undergoes the dreaded initiation ceremony with great honor.

November 2, 1997, play the legendary Princeton Jam at T-Ski's new mansion, Princeton, New Jersey. This five-hour non-stop jam session featured guest appearances by "Chicago" Craig Brown (drums), Nick Romanenko (bass), and James Jeude (guitar). Premiere of Tell Me No Lies, The Party's Over, and Mother (all by T-Ski) and the 3-part epic Treachery (by Radford/Radford). The overwhelming response of the stunned crowd was "you guys are way too loud!"

December 21 and December 28, 1997, The Professors are broadcast on radio into Northern New Jersey and New York City. Gary Radford and Jennifer Lehr appear on What It Is, a show featuring local musical artists, hosted by Ted Clancy and broadcast on WPSC-FM 88.7. The show featured recorded versions of Five Long Years (Boyd), The Bottle (Radford/Marshall), Foucault Funk (Radford/Cooper/Radford/Foucault), Crap (T-Ski), and Dark and Stormy Day (T-Ski/Lehr) and live, in-studio, versions of Treachery (Radford/Radford), Crippled Inside (John Lennon/Luthor Allison), and One of Us (Joan Osborne).

December 1997, Steve Cooper leaves the band to complete his Ph. D. Qualifying Exams. Nick Romanenko (bass; TRANSMITTER, ex-WHAM! YOU CAME, SHELLSHOCK, RECKLESS DESTRUCTION, CRUNCH) becomes an official member of the band.