Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
March 31, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Tower of Power: 50 Years of Funk & Soul, Live at The Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – June 2018

Tower of Power

50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at The Fox Theater – Oakland, CA – June 2018

Artistry Music

In 2018 one of the world’s great live bands, Tower of Power, hit their hometown stage to celebrate its 50th birthday. Now we get to hear that set of recordings. Taken from a two-gig hometown stand, Live at the Fox Theater bursts from your speakers with all the enthusiastic funk that TOP can muster. Which is a lot! Several line-ups and so many changes, but for this special set of shows they welcomed back a few past members and the engine still hums thanks to the nearly peerless David Garibaldi on drums. His almost implausibly tight funk-grooves (Squib Cakes) drive the big bad hits (What Is Hip?) and even some of the newer material that’s smattered across the two discs here (Stop).

A James Brown medley is a huge mid-set highlight, the horns just frothing, those funky guitars peeling out the clean licks. This is – as its always been – a muscular unit, funk and soul propelled from the stage. Infectious. Jubilant.

The lockdown delayed the release of this record and has put an anchor on the good ship Tower of Power. Sad news too, because founding bass player Francis ‘Rocco’ Prestia had returned for these shows and has since passed away late last year, prior to this live document being made available.

It now serves as a tribute to his memory and wonderful playing.

But guitarist Bruce Conte, keyboardist Chester Thompson, saxophonist Lenny Pickett and vocalist/trombonist Ray Greene are some of the other star-turns here. Just soulful and wonderful in equal measures. This is a treat for longtime fans and it would serve as a more than decent introduction if you’ve heard about the Tower of Power horns and groove and wondered how it all aligns. Some of the best players around giving it their finest Oakland stroke.
You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with 50 Years of Funk & Soul, 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at The Fox Theater, 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at The Fox Theater – Oakland, 50th Anniversary, Album Review, CA, CA – June 2018, CD, David Garibaldi, double-album, DVD, June 2018, Live, Oakland, Tower Of Power, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron. RSS 2.0 feed.
« Poem: Good Enough
Poem: There’s A Photo »

Popular

  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • Going Back To Lou Reed: Time To Revisit His Strange, Wonderful, Weird Catalogue
  • The Beast: Revisiting John Bonham’s Glory
  • Revisiting Live at Knebworth (1990)
  • Neil Peart Was The World’s Most Overrated Drummer
  • Try Three: # 1 – Roots, Reggae, Soul
  • What A Good Score! – #17: Dead Man Walking by Various Artists
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Blog Book Book Review Chat Compilation DJ Drums DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Poetry Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2022 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press