Rhythm & Business (1997)
Tower Of Power: Brent Carter (vocals); Emilio Castillo (vocals, tenor saxophone); Jeff Tamelier (guitar, background vocals); John Scarpulla (alto & tenor saxophones); Stephen “Doc” Kupka (baritone saxophone); Bill Churchville, Barry Danielian (trumpet, flugelhorn); Nick Milo (keyboards); Francis Rocco Prestia (bass); Herman Matthews (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Mic Gillette (baritone horn, trumpet); Dave Eskridge (trumpet). Emilio Castillo, Francis Rocco Prestia, “Doc” Kupka and the boys are back for another session of family- style funk. As in their formative years, Tower of Power lays it down with the idea that more is better. Perhaps as a result of maintaining the same personnel for so many years, the sound here is tight, clean and hard-hitting. Often utilizing groups of singers, and a full horn section, many of the songs transcend the usual “get down and party” message of most funk bands. “Unconditional Love” is about finally growing up enough to love, “Rhythm and Business” about trying. (shopping.com)
John Scarpulla is the lead sax, and Gillette returned for a few tracks. As usual, though, the quality of the compositions is more important than the personnel, and the compositions are good: there’s plenty of funk with group vocals (title track; “Crazy For You”) though some of lyrical concepts are obvious (”You Do The Math”; “The More You Know”). “What’s Your Trip?” goes for a different type of nostalgia, with the horns supporting a nasty 80s-style synth hook. “Unconditional Love” is one of the band’s more memorable ballads, though the melody is uncomfortably close to The Captain & Tenille’s “Do That To Me One More Time,” and “Don’t Knock Me Down” is better. (warr.org)
Tracks:
1. So I Got To Groove
2. Crazy For You
3. East Bay Way
4. Unconditional Love
5. You Do The Math
6. The More You Know
7. Recapture The Magic
8. What’s Your Trip
9. Rhythm and Business
10. Don’t Knock Me Down
11. That Was Then And This Is Now
12. It Really Doesn’t Matter
13. Spank-A-Dang
**Listen**
Tower Of Power – Rhythm & Business (1997)
Julio 10, 2009 a 11:28 pm (Modern Funk)
Crusaders – Street Life (1979)
Julio 10, 2009 a 9:23 pm (Funk Jazz)
Street Life (1979)
Although the Crusaders could not have known it at the time, their recording of “Street Life” (which features a memorable vocal by Randy Crawford) was a last hurrah for the 20-year old group. Their recordings of the next few years would decline in interest until the band gradually faded away in the ’80s. However this particular set is well worth picking up for the 11-minute title cut and there is good playing by the three original members (Wilton Felder on tenor, soprano and electric bass, keyboardist Joe Sample and drummer Stix Hooper) along with guitarist Barry Finnerty; horn and string sections, plus additional guitarists are utilized on Sample’s commercial but listenable arrangements (AMG).
Tracks:
1. Street Life
2. My Lady
3. Rodeo Drive (High Steppin’)
4. Carnival Of The Night
5. The Hustler
6. Night Faces
**Listen**
Pleasure – The Best Of Pleasure (1992)
Julio 10, 2009 a 7:41 pm (Funk, Funk Jazz)
The Best Of Pleasure (1992)
They were all born in Portland, Oregon, and had known each other since they were kids. The band had been playing together since early 1972 and were discovered at a club in Portland by Wayne Henderson (Trombonist, writer and producer of Crusaders, The) who brought them to Fantasy Records in 1974.This was the beginning of a six year relationship with the label and a four year relationship with Wayne Henderson who, through his own production company “At Home Productions”, was the band’s producer and mentor. (Discogs)
Jazz fusion pleasures drawn from the band’s six Fantasy albums. Pleasure played on bills with BB King, Roberta Flack, played opening act for bands like Earth Wind & Fire, Tower Of Power, Natalie Cole, Maze and KC & The Sunshine Band, and headlined their own shows. Along the way, members of the band did session work with artistes like Side Effect, Gabor Szabo, Ronnie Laws and Willie Bobo. The band wrote their own material as a collective and so prolific were they that only one track, Maria Muldaur’s Midnight At The Oasis, is an actual cover (four other tracks have various additional writers). Fusion was the name of the game and jazz, rock, soul, funk and R&B were all mixed up into a distinctive, funky, danceable genre all their own.(acerecords.co.uk)
Pleasure is a good word to describe the effects of their music. They closed the gap between, say, The Crusaders and Earth, Wind & Fire. The only criticism is the limitation of one CD. This band devised more than 72 minutes of great music. But that’s as far as the whining goes. The 15 songs of the compilation are now strung together, making a fancy pearl necklace. It’s the original mixes from their first five albums, but without the usual cracking noises of the dear yet exhausted vinyls. (rateyourmusic)
Tracks:
1. Bouncy Lady
2. Straight Ahead
3. Sassafras Girl
4. Let Me Be The One
5. 2 For 1
6. Tune In
7. Foxy Lady
8. Ghettos Of The Mind
9. Joyous
10. Glide
11. Strong Love
12. Ladies Night Out
13. Pleasure For Your Pleasure
14. No Matter What
15. Selim
**Listen**
