by Greg PratoThe Minnesota jazz-pop sextet Bozo Allegro is comprised of members who choose to go by just first names: Diane (saxophones/vocals), Clay (saxophone/vocals), Rebekka (keyboards/vocals), John (guitar/vocals), Mark (bass/vocals), and Brian (drums). The group's roots lie in a precursor band, Shearman & the Sharks, a primarily "rehearsal" outfit that Mark led while living in California during the early '90s. After relocating to Minnesota in the summer of 1995, Mark rang up five local horn players to see if his old group's tunes could be re-transcribed for extra players. The goal was quickly accomplished, and the results were so encouraging that Bozo Allegro was formed soon after. Quite comparable musically to classic Steely Dan, the group has been performing steadily since early 1996, and have issued such releases as the Beatles tribute the Revolver Suite, Relentlessly Cheerful, and Le Bozo, C'Est Moi. A pair of Bozo Allegro-related side projects have been known to appear from time to time, including the Brian Eno-esque Bozo Adagio, and the chamber jazz trio Bozo Allegretto.