SoulMusicNews.com: Horn-driven soul, funk & jazz.

Today, August 13th, marks the 40th Anniversary of the “East Bay Kings of Funk & Soul,” Tower of Power.

What started as “The Gotham City Crime Fighters,” graduated to “The Motowns,” and finally to “Tower of Power.”

There are many interesting story lines, musical lineage, and trivia about Tower of Power. The most amazing part is that the band has performed continuously for its entire history and for all the evolution of its roster, today’s lineup still includes four anchor members: Emilio Castillo, Doc Kupka, Rocco Prestia, & David Garibaldi.

To hear Tower of Power on CD, is one thing. To hear them live, is quite another. If you haven’t seen the band in a while, you should seek them out again. Matter of fact, you should see them as often as you can.

The big destination events this fall are three nights in Las Vegas, September 19th - 21st, at the Suncoast Casino, and the Official 40th Anniversary Celebration at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, October 18th.

Tonight, Tower of Power is performing at the San Mateo County Fair. If you are anywhere nearby, get there. If not, break out every bit of Tower of Power music you own, and have your own TOP-music-marathon.

Please feel free to post your anniversary wishes, here.

Andy Ebon
CEO of Soul

Technorati Tags: 40th anniversary, David Garibaldi, Doc Kupka, east bay soul music, Emilio Castillo, Rocco Prestia, Tower of Power

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

The Zen Blues Quartet released their second CD, Again and Yet Again, several months ago.

The band is:
Mike Finnigan - B3 and Vocals, (Grammy award winner and Platinum Artist, performed with Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Phantom Blues Band and Taj Mahal, Dave Mason, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Rait, Crosby Stills and Nash…), Steve Ferrone - Drums (Grammy award winner and Platinum Artist, performed with Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Average White Band…), Tim Scott - Bass and lead vocals (Jack Mack, Tower of Power, Robben Ford, Stevie Wonder…) and John March - guitars, producer and mixer.

Don’t be misled by the band’s name. the Zen Blues Quartet surrounds themselves with other session musicians including: Bill Churchville (Tower of Power) on Trumpet, (Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Elton John, Rickie Lee Jones), Rev. Dave Boruff on Tenor and Alto Saxes (Everyone!! lol),, and Ed Wynne on Baritone and Tenor saxes. Plus many special guests sitting in on the CD, Marty Greb on Keyboards, (Bonnie Rait, Aaron Neville, Rick Danko), Curtis Salgado on Blues Harp, (Robert Cray, Steve Miller, Santana), Carmen Grillo on Backing Vocals, (Tower of Power and Sons of Champlin), and others!!

For my ears, the recording is as much horn-driven rhythm & blues as anything else.

Highly recommended tracks include:

• Let A Woman Be A Woman (Dyke & The Blazers)
• Grits Ain’t Groceries (various artists)
• Kiss & Say Goodbye (The Manhattans)

You can listen to all the tracks, and purchase the CD on CD Baby.

Andy Ebon
CEO of Soul

Technorati Tags: Average White Band, AWB, Bill Churchville, Carmen Grillo, John March, Mike Finnigan, Rhythm & Blues, Steve Ferrone, Tim Scott, Tower of Power, Zen Blues Quartet

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Greg Adams played trumpet and flugelhorn with Tower of Power, and served as the band’s horn section arranger, departing after a 25-year stint. For more than a decade, Adams has pursued a successful solo career performing his own brand of smooth jazz, while continuing to perform and arrange with other artists.

Recently, he got the itch to assemble an all-star band to play a hybrid musical set of both jazz, and the complex sound of horn-driven soul that Adams developed during his tenure with Tower of Power.

The East Bay Soul horn section, anchored by Adams, also features Lee Thornburg (trumpet & trombone), Johnny Bamont (baritone sax), & Tom Scott or Eric Marienthal (lead tenor).

Originally, the plan was to feature Tower of Power alumnus, Lenny Williams, on lead vocalist. Unfortunately, Williams, a 3-year member of Tower, during its heyday, proved to be too busy with his active acting schedule to be fully available for East Bay Soul bookings.

Not missing a beat, Adams asked veteran R & B Vocalist, Phil Perry to be lead vocalist for the band. Over the last two decades, Perry has been a very active performer, often working with Dave Koz. His silky sound seems to be an ideal fit for East Bay Soul.

In its debut, April 27th, at the Summerlin Jazz and Rhythm & Blues Festival, the band launched into motion with a smokin’ set sizzling with Adams originals and closing with an instrumental of Tower of Power’s classic, What Is Hip?.

To better serve readers of Soul Music News, we have created a hybrid calendar of dates for both Tower of Power & East Bay Soul. You simply can’t get too much of great horn-driven jazz, funk & soul. Now you can get it all in one place.

Andy Ebon
CEO of Soul

Technorati Tags: East Bay Soul, greg adams, Jazz Rhythm & Blues Festival, Las Vegas, Lee Thornburg, lenny williams, Tom Scott

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

In a January dinner with Emilio Castillo, he indicted that Tower of Power‘s new CD of Classic Soul Songs would be released in a couple of months. It’s now May, and there’s no CD, so far; however, there appears to be an excellent reason.

The ‘word on the street’ is that the band made a new friend while touring Europe, and asked the artist to add her vocals to two songs on the new recording.

That singer is British soul-singing-sensation Joss Stone. Stone is nothing short of a phenomenon, seeming to channel the voice and vibe of 60’s R&B and Soul vocalists.

Tower of Power is in Las Vegas, this weekend, at the Suncoast Hotel & Casino for three nights, May 9-11. Perhaps, we’ll have an update.

Andy Ebon
CEO of Soul

Technorati Tags: classic soul songs, Emilio Castillo, joss stone, Tower of Power

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!

Maceo Parker is an international treasure of alto sax. Like most older music fans, I first heard Maceo’s distinctive sound as part of the James Brown band. JB’s vocal refrain, “Maceo, won’t you blow” is embedded in my memory.

Even early in his career, Maceo had his own spinoff projects, including Maceo and the Macks. Post James Brown, Maceo became part of the Horny Horns, horn section for Parliament-Funkadelic.

Maceo rejoined the Godfather of Soul during his ‘Living in America’ period, as a featured player. That would last just a short while, and Maceo went on to more solo and collaborative projects. Maceo, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis recorded a number of CD’s as the JB Horns.

As well as being a featured performer on everything from ‘Groove Is In The Heart - Deelite’ to sessions with Prince, Maceo released a series of solo CD’s, starting with Roots Revisited.

His most recent release, Roots & Grooves, is the focus of this post. It is a 2-CD concert release showcasing Maceo, backed a huge big band.

The first disc is all Ray Charles material. Maceo has clearly been influenced by Charles, as he has included a number of the tunes on the CD in previous recordings and shows. Tunes, such as: Georgia, Them That Got, Hallelujah I Just Her You So.

Parker channels Charles’ vocals on some of the tunes. Very haunting.

The second disc is funky stuff: The material, both old and new, starts strong and finishes stronger, ending with Shake Everything You Got and Pass The Peas.

The overall feel of the CD is big, brassy, well arranged - yet spontaneous, raw, and soulful. Germany’s incredible WDR Big Band is the foundation and they don’t disappoint.

Drop these CDs into your car’s player and turn up the volume.

Maceo Parker: Roots and Grooves (Amazon.com)

Andy Ebon
CEO of Soul

Technorati Tags: Deelite, Funkadelic, Groove is in the Heart, hallelujah I just Love Her So, Horny Horns, James Brown, maceo parker, Parliament, pass the peas, prince, Roots Revisited, shake everything you got, them that got

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to the RSS feed!