The Category Five Band

CATEGORY FIVE - Group Profile

Category Five is a Detroit-based group of performers who thoroughly entertain their audiences!! Category Five plays R&B, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Standards, Motown, and Easy Listening. Category Five plays music that spans the generations from the 1960's up to and including the current songs.

Live Musical Entertainment - All Genre - All Venues
The Storm Is Not Always Quiet

The personnel line-up for Category Five is:

CHRIS KENT - Bassist, lead, and background vocalist
(A founding member of Category Five).

“I started playing music at around 5 years old. My mother played piano at the church and she got me interested in music and that lead to playing the drums, the guitar, and keyboards. The upright bass lead to my current electric bass.

I've performed with: Connection of Soul Band, The Charm Band, Danny Blue and The High Style Band, and The Hastings Street Blues Band. I am known as “UC”, The Unknown Creator, I've been playing and writing over the course of 40 years. I'm thrilled to be a part of Category Five.”

GEORGE POSEY - the Keyboardist, lead, and background vocalist
(A founding member of Category Five).

George is a seasoned keyboardist who brings his experience and musicianship to the mix. Now George joins Mark Croft on keyboards!

"Born & groomed in Detroit, I've been a musician since age 7. I studied music while attending Cass Tech. I've played with groups including The Dramatics, The Floaters, along with several local acts. In 1982, I toured the U.S. & Europe with Gil Scott-Heron, as well as recording the "Moving Target" album.”

GERALDINE (GERI) BLACKWELL MITCHELL (HOLLYWOOD) - Lead and background vocalist
(A founding member of Category Five).
Geri started singing at church as an alto in the choir. She has a passion for Jazz, R&B, and, of course, Gospel.

A few of the many artists that Geri has sung with include: Misty Love, Lady Champagne, Kenny Bynum, Braxton Vazant Davis, Kim Pinctoes, Jackie C, Jackie Green, Angela M. Dawson, Cubie, and Willie Willie.

Geri is another founding member of Category Five and says that she has enjoyed every moment of it!!

JOE TANDY - the Drummer, lead, and background vocalist
Born and raised in Detroit. Our newest member is Joe Tandy, drummer, lead, and background vocalist. Joe is also a familiar fixture in the Detroit music scene.

You can hear a short snippet of Joe Tandy singing Sack Full Of Dreams on our Music Page, in the SOUNDCLOUD section!

MARK A. CROFT - Keyboardist, lead, and background vocalist
(A founding member of Category Five).

Over the course of his career, Mark has performed with the likes of: Aretha Franklin, "Dizzy" Gillespie, David "Fathead" Newman, The Floaters, Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, The Detroit Wind Symphony, The Detroit Metropolitan Orchestra, and The Hartford Memorial Baptist Church String Orchestra. In 2006 Croft performed with Impact 7 at Superbowl XL in Detroit. In 2014 Croft performed with world-renowned vocalists Jennifer Holiday and Will Downing.

Mark Croft has shared the stage with such national and international acts as The Spinners, the Guess Who, and Blood Sweat & Tears. He is also the founder and director of the Detroit Metropolitan Brass Ensemble, is currently one of the musicians for the church choir for Historic Second Baptist Church, and plays locally with Ben's Friends Jazz Orchestra, Impact 7 (for whom he serves as music director), and the Luther “Bad Man” Keith Blues Band.

MICHAEL R. STEVENSON - Guitarist, lead and background vocalist, and Musical Director
(A founding member of Category Five).

Michael Stevenson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. Michael lived on the same block as Smokey Robinson, Drummer Ricky Lawson, and songwriter T-Boy Ross (brother of Diana Ross). Prior to leaving Detroit, Michael played with: The Capitals, Orthea Barnes, Toni Booker, Kasuku Mafia's Young Success Band. The first studio experience was working with Motown songwriters Sylvia Moy and Jamie Branford.

Michael played behind or shared the stage with such musical greats as: Ike and Tina Turner, Gene Ammons, Major Lance, The Funkadelics, David Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, Charles Wright, Barbara Mason, Billy Preston, The Spinners, The Dramatics, The Chi-Lites, Johnny Taylor, Graham Central Station, Garland Green, Z. Z. Hill, Sisters Sledge, Edwin Starr, The Floaters, The Miracles, The Vandellas, and Rudy Ray Moore.

"Some of the most memorable meetings and friendships I made while in L.A. include: Alex Haley, Little Richard, Ed Townsend, David Townsend, Maurice White & Philip Bailey of Earth Wind & Fire, Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis, David II, Fred Wesley, and Rickey Minor."

Michael worked on Motion Picture soundtracks including 'American Pop' and was an Epic Records Recording Artist with the band "The Dr.s" (Album entitled 'Rx 1').
Michael is also the Musical Director for the Gospel Group "The Sounds of Unity".