Tower of Power

<PRE> For more than a quarter of a century, Tower Of Power has worn its very funky heart on its very funky sleeve. It's right there in the title of their steaming new Epic album: SOULED OUT. "People always say things like, 'You have a fabulous jazz-rock unit,'" says TOP leader Emilio Castillo. "And I say, 'It's a soul band.' 'Excuse me?' 'It's a soul band.' 'Well, how do you describe your music?' 'It's soul music. It's a soul band.' That's what we are, that's what we always will be. "People always ask me, 'Your new album's coming out, so what new direction have you gone in?' And I say, 'No new direction.' We're a soul band. We write soul tunes, we play them. We don't come out with our new reggae album, our new punk album--that's not what we do." Classic soul is coming back strong. There it is on the radio. There it is on TV. There it is in concert. But Tower Of Power ain't coming back, 'cause Tower Of Power ain't never left. And on Souled Out, the veteran band is serving up as lean and nasty a slab of contemporary urban soul as it has ever turned out, juiced up with a spectacular new lead vocalist, some spunky new instrumentalists, a fresh roster of horn arrangers, and a set of co-productions from platinum- selling keyboardist/producer/arranger/composer Jeff Lorber. Souled Out is brimming with sleek, romantic ballads (Soothe You, Sexy Soul), popping mid-tempo grooves (Keep Comin' Back, Just Like You), and fist-in-your-ear funk (Souled Out, Taxed To The Max). Those legendary TOP horns roar like the devil, while new vocalist Brent Carter sings like an angel. Carter spent several years on the road with Regina Belle, each night stepping into Peabo Bryson's big shoes for the A Whole New World duet. When word reached Carter at his home in Atlanta that Tower Of Power was auditioning singers, he mailed a tape to Emilio Castillo. "He called me back, said he liked my voice, wanted me to come out and audition," Brent recalls. "I thought they were going to have, like, six people audition. I didn't realize they were auditioning 30 people from all over the country! If I did, I wouldn't have gone--I wouldn't have wasted my money." The money wasn't wasted: The gig was his. Brent Carter, a native New Yorker who attended the High School of Performing Arts with such classmates as Wesley Snipes and Esai Morales, has also logged time on the road with BeBe & CeCe Winans. Carter is a master balladeer whos equally adept at rocking the house: When he croons "Let's stay at home and listen to some sexy soul" he rates a 10 on the swoon-o-meter, but when he belts "Someone tell me where the money really goes" on Taxed To The Max, you're ready to follow him out the door and down to the halls of Congress. Carter got his big soulful sound the old-fashioned way, by singing in church as a youngster. As Emilio puts it: "Brent looks great, he has a great attitude, and he sings like a bird." Souled Out showcases a number of Tower Of Power rookies. Lead saxophonist David Mann--a two-year road vet making his ToP recording debut--is an in-demand leader, sideman and session man with Michael Bolton, Maynard Ferguson, Paul Simon and Pat Metheny among his credits, the legendary composer/arranger George Russell among his teachers, and jazz albums under his own name out on DMP and Island. Trumpeter/flugelhornist Barry Danielian worked with the bands of Latin titans Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente, and on sessions with Bruce Springsteen, Lenny Kravitz, Branford Marsalis and C + C Music Factory. Bill Churchville (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone) has played with Elton John, Billy Joel, Vanessa Williams, Aaron Neville and many others; and drummer Herman Matthews is a top-shelf L.A. stickman with credits ranging from Stevie Wonder and George Duke to Richard Marx and Sheryl Crow. Completing the new Tower of Power are longtime members and true-blue funk legends Stephen "Doc" Kupka (baritone sax) and Francis "Rocco" Prestia (bass), along with the gifted keyboards player Nick Milo and groove-cutting guitarist Carmen Grillo. Perhaps the most significant change in the ToP lineup is the departure of longtime trumpet player and horn arranger Greg Adams. "I know a lot of people will be wondering what the horns are going to sound like," says Emilio Castillo. "We just really concentrated and made the horn arrangements as strong and fresh as we possibly could, but being careful not to step on the vocals. To me that's one of the big surprises on the record: The horns are just shining. "The guys that did the horn arrangements on this record are three of the guys in the section: David Mann and Barry Danielian did theirs together, Bill Churchville did his by himself. Just excellent, excellent horn arrangements. And I think the reason for that is because these guys don't have a track record and were hungry to do it, so they just put their whole heart and soul into it. We also used Dave Eskridge, who did two of the horn arrangements and also helped us in the studio." Another surprise is the participation of Jeff Lorber. Best known for his chrome-smooth contemporary jazz and pop recordings with his own band and for his productions for Kenny G, Dave Koz, Duran Duran and Madonna, Lorber's isn't a name associated with most listeners' definition of soul music. "Jeff has had a lot of success with that middle-of-the-road kind of thing, but his real true love is Tower of Power music," says Castillo. "When we first started working together, he brought in this set of albums he wanted me to autograph! He's a total Tower of Power fan--that's where he comes from and that's what he wants to do." Lorber not only ended up co-writing three songs and co-producing five songs, but he lends his keyboard work to a couple of tracks; saxophone powerhouse Brandon Fields also makes a pair of guest appearances on "Soothe You" and "Keep Comin' Back." Tower of Power first began performing around the Oakland area in 1967 as the Motowns-- Castillo, Doc Kupka and Rocco Prestia were there at the creation. By the dawn of the '70s, they were Tower of Power and had already built up a reputation as one of the funkiest live bands in the West, thanks to numerous appearances at Bill Grahams Fillmore West. Graham, an early fan, signed them to his short-lived San Francisco Records for which ToP waxed the debut LP East Bay Grease. Hit album followed hit album in the 70s: Bump City, Tower Of Power, Back To Oakland, Urban Renewal, In The Slot, Live & In Living Color. With vocalist Lenny Williams fronting the band, Tower scored pop/r&b single hits with You're Still a Young Man, So Very Hard To Go, and Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream). But the band's real reputation was made on the road, where their full-octane funk could turn an audience into a squirming, writhing mass. The audiences have been squirming and writhing ever since. A major part of this living legend belongs to the world-renown Tower Of Power Horn Section, which set the standard for brand-name horn sections. Huey Lewis & the News had the good sense to bring the TOP Horn Section on the road with them for three years; the Rolling Stones, Eurythmics and many others have availed themselves of the section as well. But for every band that has used the Tower Of Power Horn Section, there are a dozen that have "borrowed" its sound, style and boot-in-the-butt concept. The only other soul horn section this famous belonged to James Brown, and on SOULED OUT ToP pays its respects to James and his JB Horns with the funny and funky "Diggin' On James Brown." Musicians are always quick to tell you not to categorize their music. With Brent Carter's spine-tingling vocals, the rhythm sections whiplash grooves (percolating with the classic sounds of Hammond B-3 organs, clavinets and Moog synthesizers) and those dripping-with- grease horn parts, Tower of Power has no problem having its music categorized. "I got a soul band that makes soul music and I love it," says Emilio Castillo. "I was inspired dur-ing the '60s when I was a teenager by the music of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and all the great singers of soul music. And those great singers always had great bands--great rhythm sections, great horn sections, great background vocals, and great emotion. To me those are really the basic ingredients of soul music: great emotion, expressed by great players and singers." After 25-plus years, 15-plus albums and a zillion-plus live shows, Tower of Power has never sold out--only SOULED OUT. Soul Vaccination: Tower Of Power Live Release Date: 08/03/1999 Product#: BK69829 1 - Soul With A Capital "S" 2 - I Like Your Style 3 - Soul Vaccination 4 - Down To The Night Club (Bump City) 5 - Willin' To Learn 6 - Souled Out 7 - Diggin' On James Brown 8 - To Say The Least You're The Most 9 - You Strike My Main Nerve 10 - Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong) 11 - You Got To Funkifize 12 - So Very Hard To Go 13 - What Is Hip 14 - You're Still A Young Man 15 - So I Got To Groove Buy Now Rhythm & Business Release Date: 09/16/1997 Product#: EK68002 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 & Business 10 - Don't Knock Me Down 11 - That Was Then And This Is Now 12 - It Really doesn't Matter 13 - Spank-A-Dank Souled Out Release Date: 08/11/1995 Product#: EK67218 1 - Souled Out 2 - Taxed to the Max 3 - Keep Comin' Back 4 - Soothe You 5 - Do You Wanna (Make Love To Me) 6 - Lovin' You Forever 7 - Gotta Make a Change 8 - Diggin' on James Brown 9 - Sexy Soul 10 - Just Like You 11 - Once You Get a Taste 12 - Underecurrent Buy Now T.O.P Release Date: 04/16/1993 Product#: EK52805 1 - Soul With a Capital "S" 2 - It All Comes Back 3 - Please Come Back (To Stay) 4 - The Real Deal 5 - Come To A Decision 6 - Cruise Control 7 - The Educated Bump Part I 8 - Mama Lied 9 - Quiet Scream 10 - I Like Your Style 11 - You 12 - South of the Boulevard 13 - Come On With It 14 - The Educated Bump Part II Monster on a Leash Release Date: 05/17/1991 Product#: EK47387 1 - A Little Knowledge (Is a Dangerous Thing) 2 - How Could This Happen to Me 3 - Who Do You Think You Are 4 - Attitude Dance 5 - You Can't Fall Up (You Just Fall Down) 6 - Funk the Dumb Stuff 7 - Believe It 8 - Personal Possessions 9 - Miss Trouble (Got a Lot of Nerve) 10 - Keep Your Monster on a Leash 11 - Someone New 12 - Mr. Toad's Wild Ride </PRE>  <HR align='center' width='50%'> <B>Your browser does not support frames!</B><BR><BR> Some of the features on this site require a frames-capable browser, since much of the functionality would be impossible without frames. 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