Jim & The Gents I became interested in playing music at a early age. In 1964, my friends--Jim Dotson, Steve Rascon, and later Jorge Santana--formed their first band, Jim & The Gents with me as the lead singer. We rehearsed weekends and after school at Steve's dad's house in Glen Park in San Francisco. Jim & The Gents Robert Lazaneo Recalls Jim & The Gents We performed at talent shows, house parties, YMCA dances and, in August 1966, at The Cow Palace in a battle of the bands.  The application form referred to it as "A city-wide battle of the bands called The Pepsi Cola Band Bash."  We auditioned and then we were contacted that we had been accepted into the battle.  The band that won was called The Nightcaps, a white R&B band with a horn section that did covers of Jr. Walker & The All Stars among other R&B tunes. Many music companys had promotional displays of musical instruments--like Fender, Vox, Sunn, and Gibson, just to name a few--and encouraged people to plug in and try out the equipment at these displays. Steve Rascon, Jorge Santana and Rob Lazaneo in 1965. In 1967 we added Tom Lazaneo on guitar; Steve began playing bass and we changed our name to The Sounds Unlimited Blues Band. During this time, I was beginng to write songs by himself and as a lyricist with the band co-writing with Tom Lazaneo and Jorge Santana. Sounds Unlimited Blues Band performed regularly in the Bay Area. We opened for Country Joe MacDonald, played a soul and blues festival at Golden Gate Park, performed at The Straight Theater, The Fillmore Auditorium and many one-nighters at bars and clubs as well as lots of gigs at the Presidio for the Army. Towards the end of 1969, Jorge Santana left the band and joined a group of musicians which would become the Latin rock band Malo. I began playing rhythm guitar while my brother Tom switched to the lead guitar position. With Fred Pratt on bass and David Lonie on drums, our music began to change adding elements of folk rock, country, and jazz to the sound. We performed as Whiffenpuf during the early '70s. I co-wrote a song for Malo's final album for Warner Brothers Records with Jorge Santana called 'Everlasting Night' that was released in 1973. Throughout the next two decades, I played and toured with many bands: Fusion, Cerebus, Solar and Wildwood and performed in Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and California. My first solo record, A Funny Notion, on the indie label, P- Boy Records, saw release in 2004. I continue to perform at open mics and as part of The Sound Exprezz band which released a CD, In The Night, in 2007 also on P- Boy Records. The Sounds Unlimited Blues Band in 1968.