Kweevak.com: Tower of Power and David Sanborn (Concert Review)

Tower of Power and David Sanborn:
Soulful, Solid and Electric in New Jersey!
A Kweevak.com Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch

Building on a solid foundation of soul, Tower of Power blends a "blast of brass" with "old and new school funk". Celebrating forty plus years, this ten-piece band still brings energy and enthusiasm to their music and especially their live performances.

Tower of Power and David Sanborn in Concert

Tower of Power was founded in the late 60's by saxophonist Emilo Castillo. The California based band has had numerous lineup changes with at least 60 musicians who have recorded or toured with the group. Tower of Power continues to build on their solid foundation with extensive touring including a stop at the BergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey on March 28, 2009.

The band's lead vocalist, Larry Braggs, is lively and versatile with an incredible range. Tower of Powers' set opened strong with potent percussion melded with peppy horns for an up-tempo, jazzy piece. Larry connected to the crowd early, encouraging fans to clap along. Audience participation only increased with responsive singing and dancing to the band's musical momentum.

Braggs has a silky smooth voice. He sways soulfully to the spirited grooves of the five brass players who also provided backing vocals throughout the band's spirited set. Tower of Power has a bass (Francis Rocco Prestia) and a guitar (Mark Harper) player but often it was the horns at the forefront. Roger Smith added flair to the jams with colorful keys (Yamaha S80) and beguiling Hammond B3.

The evening's festivities including forays into funk, jazz, soul, R&B and rock and even a bit of world as we detected some Caribbean and rap tones in some of the instrumentals. Tower of Power is tight and professional. Their music melds many styles with chord changes and stellar solos.

Tower of Power's concert was energized and engaging with bright, brass blends combined with robust rhythms and vibrant vocals. Larry mentioned that the band has a new album (Great American Songbook) coming out in April of 2009 which will feature Joss Stone, Tom Jones and Huey Lewis. The nine-song CD is a tribute to soul songs with Tower of Power's unique spin on the classics.

Their set ran the range from sassy to soulful demonstrating that Tower of Power is still full of flair, force and fun. The band closed their animated set with a song about soul power that featured soaring sax and intricate instrumentation. The encore was a slower more soulful song that left the crowd wanting more but Tower of Power had to move on to their next gig in Virginia.

Sharing the bill with Tower of Power was the equally impressive David Sanborn. David is a well respected solo artist and session player who has a legendary, lengthy list of work to his credit. His commercial success stemmed from his radio friendly, smooth jazz format, yet Sanborn is a formidable alto saxophonist who plays jazz, pop, R&B and rock. Ironically, it was contracting polio at age three that led to David learning the sax as part of his rehabilitation and thus shaping his life.

Loud cheers greeted Sanborn and his band as they promptly took the stage at eight p.m. David's seven song set was superb with super solos from David and each of his players. The jams were dense and dynamic yet each instrument was distinct and decisive.

Sanborn opened with "Full House" - a full sounding song that was clean and cohesive. At times, the keys sounded almost like a horn section with lots of sounds layered over a bold bass line.

David - looking dapper in all black, steered the band through "Brother Ray" a lilting lush landscape of leads blending with beguiling bass lines and wavy keys. The piece - a tribute to the great Ray Charles - was full and fluid with Sanborn stepping back for the others to solo and shine too. David's sax solos throughout were beautiful and bold.

"Thank you, it's great to be back here," Sanborn said welcoming the crowd while introducing the first two songs from his new CD. Here and Gone was poduced by the legendary Phil Ramone and is the 23rd solo album in Sanborn's extraordinary career. The album is David's tribute to influential musicians who helped mold his own style and brings together exceptional guests in Eric Clapton, Sam Moore, Joss Stone, Derek Trucks, and many more.

Returning to "older stuff" Sanborn performed the spirited and soulful "Maputo" from Double Vision that ranged from subtle to up-tempo with a progressing into funk with the keys at the forefront backed by beguiling bass lines and gushing guitar grooves.

"Tin Tin Deo" began with a short, solid drum solo before the band blended in and Sanborn's sultry sax floated to the top of the mix. The composition went through numerous complex changes ranging from melodic to almost frantic than returning to the percussion for a few measures than meandering into a bass keyboard blend. Back to the drums for a solo and the full use of the kit . "Benny" was sultry and seamless allowing these seasoned players to digress into multi-dimensional musical muses including a graceful guitar solo.

David invited his friends from Power of Tower to join him for "Soul Serenade", written by pioneering saxophonist King Curtis, and the punchy horns added to the charm and complexity of the bluesy piece. Larry sang on the sweet soulful "I Got News For You". The song was a good opportunity for Braggs to tease the crowd with his tantalizing tenor voice. Thus closing Sanborn's set on a high note and prepping the crowd for Tower of Power.

The BergenPAC continues to bring high level acts to the region. It is a charming and refurbished vintage theater in Englewood with plenty of nice shops and restaurants located nearby for a convenient night on the town. The BergenPAC will soon be announcing their full up-coming season but already scheduled are Brian Wilson, Bruce Hornsby and George Clinton.

Related Links: For more information on Tower of Power and David Sanborn and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- TowerOfPower.com | DavidSanborn.com | Great American Soulbook CD | Here & Gone CD | bergenPAC

Tower of Power - Great American Soulbook

• Originally Published: 04/01/2009 on Kweevak.com

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