![]() ![]() ![]() Nowhere is there a better example than just prior to the song's coda as Harris gets a final chance to contribute. Gordon selflessly provides copious space to his bandmates, a quality that certainly makes selections such as these a pleasure to revisit. Once again, Gordon and Williams are stunning in their affinity for balance and timing as they complement each other - particularly during the introduction as the bassist incorporates the longing and yearning sonic consistency of a bow. ![]() The cover of Gene Raskin's memorable ballad "Those Were the Days" is a fitting conclusion if not an emotional zenith for all involved. Heath then is given room for an all-too-brief solo before wrapping up the affair behind the same conspicuously catchy cadence from the top. The exchanges and banter created by Williams and Harris are priceless as they briefly and creatively cajole. As he had done earlier, Heath's slippery and mutable groove at the start of "Stanley the Steamer" has shades of soul as the rest of the combo remain comparatively straight for maximum effect. Williams' thick and wistful lines add a measure of empathy to Gordon's introspective leads. The lovely Gordon original "Rainbow People" is full of warm textures revealing a remarkably intimate rapport between he and Harris. Heath turns the beat around to undergird the unit with a funkier, almost rock rhythm - a device that the percussionist would refer back to in short order. His quote of Georges Bizet's Carmen is especially tasty. The arrangement is loose enough to allow Harris to subtly interject and punctuate within the spaces left by the two tenors. Gordon and Moody swing steadily as they bounce ideas off each other. An opening flourish from Heath on "Montmartre" marks the commencement of the platter, leading into a mid-tempo bop. ![]() Joined by James Moody (tenor sax), Barry Harris (piano), Buster Williams (bass), and Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums), Gordon actually documented enough material for two long players - Tower of Power (1969) and More Power! (1969) - both of which became primary staples of the artist's voluminous Prestige catalog. Management reserves all rights.Dexter Gordon (tenor sax) returned to the United States in the spring of 1969 to create his first studio recordings in nearly a decade. Entertainment subject to change without prior notice. Ticket price subject to Live Entertainment Tax (LET) and fees where applicable. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21+. General Admission seating is first-come, first-serve.ĭoors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.Īll ages show. I told the guys that I was leaving for the holidays, and if nothing happened with this audition, I wasn’t coming back.”įortunately, he did, and the rest as they say, is history. We wrote the songs for East Bay Grease, and by November, we were at the end of our rope. Then, my parents moved to Detroit, and I was on my own, broke and hungry, and all I did was rehearse. One night, the ABC came in, and caught the trumpet player drinking, and the next thing we knew, a notice was out across the Bay Area that if they hired us again, clubs would lose their liquor license. “We had been playing nightclubs, and we had gotten busted for being underage. The Fillmore was a major goal, which came along at the right time. Doc then suggested that we start writing our own songs.” We grew our hair long, and started to be hippies, and changed our name. “We wanted to get into the Fillmore Auditorium and with a name like the Motowns, dressed in suits with razor cuts, we knew we’d never get in there. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him an audition. “Rocco was the bass player, I was in there, and my brother was the drummer. Celebrating 55 years, Tower of Power performs live inside Veil Pavilion on Saturday, January 28.įor over 50 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music.“We were a Soul band called The Motowns.” recalls Emilio Castillo. ![]()
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