The Organ Grinders ‘flower-pop’ band lived in a communal band house in Pikesville owned by Frank Eventoff. Frank had previously been a member of a band called the Seventh Sons which featured guitarist Buzzy Linhart who released an LP in 1967 “4 AM At Frank’s” (ESP 1078).
The family band consisted of Frank (lead vocals, sax, flute, woodwinds), Nelson Eventoff (keyboards), Paul Eventoff (drums), Henry Melcher (guitar), and James Rock (bass ex-Seventh Sons). All the Eventoff’s had studied music at Peabody.
Organ Grinders were notorious in the local underground scene and performed as the opening act for Earth Opera and the Doors in 1968. In 1969 the Grinders along with Ames Oakes opened for BS&T. Their song “Babylon” (produced by Mama Cass Elliot) charted on WCAO’s Top-60 in the fall of 1969.
The group later became known as Romany. Nisan (Nelson) had always studied magic and went on to a successful career as a popular magician.
Record releases by Organ Grinders:
1968 Smash 2227 Mirror Images / Daylight
1969 Smash 2242 Babylon / Precious Time
1970(LP) Mercury 61282 Out of the Egg
