Piece By Piece
A good friend of mine gave me an interesting idea for a Friday music column. Why not break groups down by component and then go over some of the greatest, Blank, in rock and roll.
Now everyone would say, “Let’s hear what this chooch thinks are the greatest guitarists, bass players and so on”.
Well, my friend suggested “How about doing the greatest horn sections?” I’m like, “wow, what a great idea!”.
So, here it is. Obviously, this is a little tricky because very few rock and roll bands centered on horn sections but almost every band and singer has used a horn section on their records and during their live shows. Like everything else I do in this column, parameters are a moving target but read on and let me know what you think.
Top of anyone’s list should be Tower of Power. “What is Hip” may be the one song that set these guys apart but they were so much more than that. This Oakland based band always stayed true to their origins and influences as they mixed R&B and Funk in very complex arrangements that to this day, have not lost their power. If I were to spend the money on just one album it would have to be Back to Oakland. Listening to “Squib Cakes” is an experience unto itself. These guys have backed up pretty much everyone in the business and they still perform regularly around the country.
Before I dig deeper, let me throw a few bands out there and get them out of the way. Chicago was not everyones cup of tea but they were an incredibly talented band that changed how we viewed what a rock and roll band could be. The first 4 albums are explorations in pop, rock and roll and rock and roll infused classicle( if that is even a thing). Blood, Sweat and Tears was another band that had a strong horn influence. They were jazz-pop and had one of the best voices in rock and roll, David Clayton Thomas. Slew of hits and slew of really bad songs but they opened people’s ears and eyes to a jazzier version of rock that is pretty much ancient history now. Speaking of history, this band has one of the more interesting backstories of any rock and roll band. Lastly, Earth Wind and Fire is perhaps the best of this bunch. They fused Rock, R&B, Soul, Funk and a little Jazz with great harmonies and songwriting.
While he is not a household name, Maceo Parker has played on some of the greatest recordings of the 20th Century. Parker is a tremendous saxophone player and his band All The Kings Men are incredible. He has recorded over a dozen solo albums. Been a guest player on a couple of Prince’s tours and he was fired by James Brown because of “artistic differences”. Plus he was an integral part of Parliament Funkadelic for a time. If you were going to put any of his recordings on your playlist, go for the live album, Life on Planet Groove. That pretty much gives you a great taste of what Parker is all about.
The next few bands aren’t horn centric but they used the horns they had to make a distinctive sound.
The Average Whit Band was a Funk and R&B band out of Scotland. They had a couple of huge hits with “Picking up the Pieces” and “Cut the Cake”. Too many lineup changes destroyed the band but members have played on so many different records it’s hard to count. They only had a couple of saxophone players but it always sounded like more.
War was another band that fit a Funk R%B profile but they were also a rock and roll band and if you ever listen to any of their live stuff, you know they all wanted to rock. Another band that didn’t center on the brass section but it came through on many of their songs. I still think that they should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, no questions asked and now that Jann “Adolph” Wenner is gone, maybe they will be.
Obscure but important, Graham Central Station, was a 70’s band that if you ever did a six degrees of seperation with this band, I am pretty sure they connect to every rock and roll, soul, funk, R&B band every created. Thats how deep their roots go. Larry Graham, their leader, was in Sly and the Family Stone. Santana guitarist Neil Schon was in a band with Graham and Gregg Errico (who also played on Jefferson Starship). GCS also used Tower of Power’s horn section to fill in certain spots on several albums. See my point. Graham is an incredible bass player and my recommendation for buy one, listen to one would have to be their self titled debut album, Graham Central Station.
Don’t throw any stones at me but Kool and The Gang was possibly one of the best RB-Funk bands of the 60’s and 70’s. Then, they turned to disco and continued to be successful. I think people tend to disparage what this band has accomplished and the music that they have created and I think that is a shame. I think everyone should revisit their catalog and see just how good these guys were. Great vocals, tight arrangements and beats that hold up well today.
Last but not least, Parliament Funkadelic. From the crazed mind of George Clinton, P-Funk was unlike any other group out there. They were grounded in R&B for sure but that never stopped them from riffing on Jimi Hendrix or doing some Roberta Flack jam. They could do ( and often did) pretty much anything they wanted to. It was always controlled chaos but their horn section(Led by a young Maceo Parker) was the bedrock of what they did. This band was more of a collective than a super tight all for one one for all band. Players would come in and leave. They would tour and have four different drummers in 6 different cities. Yet, it all seemed to work. I am not sure any of their studio albums do this band justice but I can say that Live: P-Funk Earth Tour, may best exemplify what P-Funk is all about. You could say that there might have been drugs involved but I think it may be a journey best taken in your safe place.