MCR Musicians' Bios

Hosts the My Corner Retreat hub and is the founding guitarist and songwriter for Logjam, an improvisational quintet that puts their own groove on a growing collection of covers and originals. As the owner of the Midwest Institute, LLC music publishing service, Steve is responsible for getting our collaborations on the major music platforms for listener enjoyment.

Logjam's drummer and spiritual advisor. In college, he played in a folk/punk band, Hot Spit, that performed with Allen Ginsberg. As a percussionist, he played with renowned freestyle jazz artist Hal Russell. Mark is a long-serving educator, arts advocate, and Chicago cultural leader. He recently retired as the Commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and now serves as an advisor to a number of cultural organizations.

Kevin is the co-founder of the band and multi-instrumentalist, adding keyboards, harmonica, and backing vocals to the Logjam groove.

Logjam’s vocalist and front man, poached from the Chicago-based band, Lake Effect and the AWWA On Tap Band, Ralph brings a soulful vibe to the Logjam groove.

Originally from Half Moon, Arkansas, CJ Wilder has been singing since he could talk. After moving to Music City USA in 2007, he began slinging guitars and basses with the likes of Daryle Singletary, Bo Bice, and Krystal Keith. Also banking songwriting credits for artists like Josh Thompson, and Russel Hitchcock of Air Supply, CJ has been able to keep his musical fire hot for 15 years now.

Travis is an established American country music singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is widely recognized as a former member of the Grammy Award-winning country band Shenandoah.

Deevo is an accomplished, highly versatile guitarist, music producer, and songwriter born in Chicago and based out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area. Known for his incredible range across genres like R&B, jazz, reggae, pop, and blues, he has been a mainstay in the Twin Cities music scene for decades.

Michael is an American professional guitarist, music educator, author, and business owner based in the greater Chicago area. He is best known as the owner and founder of Musicians Workshop, a music school in Westmont, Illinois, and for his educational books on guitar theory. He actively performs as a touring and session guitarist. Notably, he regularly plays lead guitar for Midwest singer-songwriter Tim Stop, sharing stages at prominent live music venues and community events.

Valerie is a harmony specialist providing the alto range backing vocals for MCR original compositions and the fortunate ‘a cappella’ groups who are lucky enough to enjoy her collaboration.

Greg is a drummer known for playing in regional music groups and cover bands such as Prairie Station and previously Black Bridge. He brings years of live touring and studio recording experience to his projects.

Paul is a Duluth, Minnesota-based multi-instrumentalist known for playing the pedal steel guitar, dobro, six-string guitar, and five-string banjo. He performs locally in the Duluth area, including as a member of the eclectic folk, rock, and bluegrass group The Fish Heads. A master of the pedal steel guitar known most for his finger-style solo album, Baptism River, Paul fills the spaces in tunes that beg for melody and emotion. His feet and knees on the pedals and his hands on the strings work in harmony creating sounds no other musician can produce. Paul is currently the featured pedal steel player for the Sydney Hansen Band tour.

Sound engineer at Matkovic Music and the founding member of the band, Voluntary Madness, whose music explores themes such as mental health, queer experiences, anxiety, trauma, and the fear of dying in four distinct chapters, each separated by musical interludes.

Frank is our octogenarian pianist with a signature improvisational jazz groove. Give him the key and the beat and he brings the song to life. Change the key and the beat, and Frank adapts to the new direction with grace and fluency. His solo on our Jeff Beck/Stevie Wonder “Because We Ended As Lovers” cover is a standout moment on one of MCR’s most-streamed songs. Frank’s talents and contributions extend well beyond the ivories. A U.S. Army veteran who served in the Army Reserve, he went on to dedicate decades of his professional life to serving others as an accomplished, award-winning Speech-Language Pathologist, including a distinguished career within the Veterans Health Administration. In 2003, he received the AVASLP Honors of the Association Award, the highest distinction presented by the Association of Veterans Affairs Speech-Language Pathologists. Throughout his clinical career, Frank also co-authored research focused on post-operative speech and swallowing recovery for oral and tongue cancer patients, contributing to major clinical studies published in ASHA Journals. Whether through music, medicine, or military service, Frank has spent a lifetime using his talents in service of others - and we’re pretty fortunate that these days, he shares a few of them with MCR.