Tower of Power: Ambassadors of brass
Published in Berkshire Eagle, 7/29/10
By Jeremy D. Goodwin
GREAT BARRINGTON—Tower of Power is aptly named. The ensemble has been playing its high-energy stew of soul and funk sounds for 42 years, keeping a heavy touring schedule around the world while pausing for breath, it seems, only rarely. The juggernaut rolls into town Sunday evening for a show at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
Though the personnel has shifted some since the band emerged in 1968, its core remains intact. In fact, founding horn player Mic Gillette just rejoined the band last year, reuniting the band's original, fabled horn section for the first time in 25 years. Tenor sax player Emilio Castillo founded Tower of Power, and he says it's great to have the original brass players together onstage again.
"Having Mic Gillette back on trumpet and trombone is completely awesome," Castillo says in a telephone interview from his Arizona home. "I forgot just how powerful he can be. At any time, he can drown out the entire horn section. That's how powerful he is—he' just a powerhouse brass player."
Tower of Power emerged from the Bay Area scene in the late 1960's, attracting the attention of legendary rock promoter Bill Graham and releasing its debut album on his San Francisco Records in 1970, before signing with Warner Brothers for what became the band’s signature, early '70s albums. Its self-titled longplayer, released in 1973 and reaching #15 on the Billboard pop chart, spawned memorable hits like "So Very Hard to Go" and "What Is Hip?".
Combining soul music roots with the propulsive beats and the crackling energy of the then-emerging funk scene, Tower of Power grew into its signature sound early, and became a dependable source of that style ever since. The only exception came in the late '70s, when Tower of Power dabbled in some disco textures (an experiment practiced at the time by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Herbie Hancock), without success.
"We've never been a band that chases trends," Castillo says. "We tried chasing trends in the late '70s and it was a dismal failure and it almost killed us, and we've never done it again."
Published in Berkshire Eagle, 7/29/10
By Jeremy D. Goodwin
GREAT BARRINGTON—Tower of Power is aptly named. The ensemble has been playing its high-energy stew of soul and funk sounds for 42 years, keeping a heavy touring schedule around the world while pausing for breath, it seems, only rarely. The juggernaut rolls into town Sunday evening for a show at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
Though the personnel has shifted some since the band emerged in 1968, its core remains intact. In fact, founding horn player Mic Gillette just rejoined the band last year, reuniting the band's original, fabled horn section for the first time in 25 years. Tenor sax player Emilio Castillo founded Tower of Power, and he says it's great to have the original brass players together onstage again.
"Having Mic Gillette back on trumpet and trombone is completely awesome," Castillo says in a telephone interview from his Arizona home. "I forgot just how powerful he can be. At any time, he can drown out the entire horn section. That's how powerful he is—he' just a powerhouse brass player."
Tower of Power emerged from the Bay Area scene in the late 1960's, attracting the attention of legendary rock promoter Bill Graham and releasing its debut album on his San Francisco Records in 1970, before signing with Warner Brothers for what became the band’s signature, early '70s albums. Its self-titled longplayer, released in 1973 and reaching #15 on the Billboard pop chart, spawned memorable hits like "So Very Hard to Go" and "What Is Hip?".
Combining soul music roots with the propulsive beats and the crackling energy of the then-emerging funk scene, Tower of Power grew into its signature sound early, and became a dependable source of that style ever since. The only exception came in the late '70s, when Tower of Power dabbled in some disco textures (an experiment practiced at the time by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Herbie Hancock), without success.
"We've never been a band that chases trends," Castillo says. "We tried chasing trends in the late '70s and it was a dismal failure and it almost killed us, and we've never done it again."
The Tower of Power horn section—also including founding member Stephen "Doc" Kupka (baritone sax), Tom E. Politzer (tenor sax), and Adolfo Acosta (trumpet)—remains, for many listeners, the indelible feature of the band. This unit has been much in-demand for studio collaborations, recording with everyone from Elton John to Phish to Aerosmith.
Before reflecting on the role of the horns, Castillo is careful to highlight another portion of the band.
"People always point to the horns. That's what makes us unique, and certainly we've done well out in the recording industry. But in my opinion the most unique part of the band is the rhythm section," he says of bassist Francis Rocco Prestia and drummer David Garibaldi. "You'll notice we do not play like other people, rhythmically, and to me, that combined with the horn section and the songwriting and the production is really what makes us stand apart. We have our own sound."
But what about that brass?
“That being said, the horns are a signature to be sure," Castillo allows. He points to the contribution of Kupka, who with Castillo is part of the band's chief songwriting team as well. "If you look at the other horn sections, they don't generally have a baritone sax. That is really the key to how we sound different. On top of that, Doc is an unorthodox player and he's really the difference. Most baritone sax players have this round, pillow sound. Doc has all this edge and bark. It sets us apart, sound-wise. He is really, to me, the signature part of our horn section. He's the anchor."
As he reflects on the components of his time-and-travel-tasted band, Castillo is fresh from a three-week European tour, where he says Tower of Power plays to predominantly younger audiences. In fact, he’s seen a trend in US shows as well for a younger demographic to be alongside the longtime fans who’ve been enjoying Tower of Power for decades.
He says the younger fans often cite their music teachers as the ones to turn them on to this sound. Tower of Power visits music programs from time to time, and is, not surprisingly, greeted as visiting royalty—“musicians’ musicians,” and ambassadors from the very top rank of technical achievement in the rock and soul world. Their audience has grown, Castillo says, in part from the realm of music teachers who know the business and appreciate the group’s perhaps peerless track record. Photos from the group’s March visit to the music program in at Brookline High School, outside Boston, are up on the Tower of Power Web site.
“It's great to influence these young kids. We went to Brookline and they played some great music. I was telling the kids how fortunate they were to have that passionate a teacher and that hip a teacher,” Castillo reflects. “All my development I did on my own in the garage. When we get out there these days and we see these really great, passionate teachers showing their students our style of music, it's really nice to see.”
Before reflecting on the role of the horns, Castillo is careful to highlight another portion of the band.
"People always point to the horns. That's what makes us unique, and certainly we've done well out in the recording industry. But in my opinion the most unique part of the band is the rhythm section," he says of bassist Francis Rocco Prestia and drummer David Garibaldi. "You'll notice we do not play like other people, rhythmically, and to me, that combined with the horn section and the songwriting and the production is really what makes us stand apart. We have our own sound."
But what about that brass?
“That being said, the horns are a signature to be sure," Castillo allows. He points to the contribution of Kupka, who with Castillo is part of the band's chief songwriting team as well. "If you look at the other horn sections, they don't generally have a baritone sax. That is really the key to how we sound different. On top of that, Doc is an unorthodox player and he's really the difference. Most baritone sax players have this round, pillow sound. Doc has all this edge and bark. It sets us apart, sound-wise. He is really, to me, the signature part of our horn section. He's the anchor."
As he reflects on the components of his time-and-travel-tasted band, Castillo is fresh from a three-week European tour, where he says Tower of Power plays to predominantly younger audiences. In fact, he’s seen a trend in US shows as well for a younger demographic to be alongside the longtime fans who’ve been enjoying Tower of Power for decades.
He says the younger fans often cite their music teachers as the ones to turn them on to this sound. Tower of Power visits music programs from time to time, and is, not surprisingly, greeted as visiting royalty—“musicians’ musicians,” and ambassadors from the very top rank of technical achievement in the rock and soul world. Their audience has grown, Castillo says, in part from the realm of music teachers who know the business and appreciate the group’s perhaps peerless track record. Photos from the group’s March visit to the music program in at Brookline High School, outside Boston, are up on the Tower of Power Web site.
“It's great to influence these young kids. We went to Brookline and they played some great music. I was telling the kids how fortunate they were to have that passionate a teacher and that hip a teacher,” Castillo reflects. “All my development I did on my own in the garage. When we get out there these days and we see these really great, passionate teachers showing their students our style of music, it's really nice to see.”
