Tower of Power

Originally scheduled to perform at the 2020 New Mexico Jazz Festival, but of course cancelled due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to present this legendary band as part of the 16th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival 2022! Oakland, California music legends, Tower of Power (T.O.P.) have been delivering their unique brand of soul music to their fans and "Souled Out" crowds since 1968 – over 50 years! They forged a reputation as a band of high achieving musicians fluent in all realms of Soul, Rock and Pop music with a sophistication and punch similar to a Jazz big band and from their first album, East Bay Grease (1970) they became pillars and signatures of The Bay Area Music Scene that included other pioneering like-minded bands like Sly & The Family Stone, Cold Blood, Graham Central Station and The Pointer Sisters, as well as rock-oriented groups like Santana, Betty Davis and Journey. Starting with their sophomore record, Bump City in 1972, they released a string of acclaimed albums on Warner Brothers Records, after which they moved to Columbia Records and put out three more major label releases, plus their last top-charting hit, “You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun.” Including all of their studio albums, live album rarities anthologies and their 50th anniversary release in 2018, Soul Side of Town, T.O.P. has 25 recordings in its catalog.  Soul Side of Town, featuring music composed by the hit making team of the group’s founding members – Detroit born tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo and L.A. baritone saxophonist Stephen “Doc” Kupka– was described as “a motherload of electrifying new sounds guaranteed to funkifize, energize and provide the soundtrack for new American movements of Love, Peace, Soul Power, Mind Power and People Power to rise!” Along with their classic recordings, the 5-piece Tower of Power Horns – known for its power packed punch featuring two trumpets, two tenor saxophones and a baritone sax – were much in demand for studio sessions as well as live gigs and they have played with hundreds of artists including Elton John, Little Feat, Billy Preston, John Lee Hooker, Coke Escovedo, Jose Feliciano, Rod Stewart, Peter Frampton, Rick James, Santana, Smokey Robinson, Bonnie Raitt, and Aaron Neville, among others!  When almost all other R&B bands abandoned their horn sections as the sound of Soul music morphed into more stripped-down techno and synthesizer strains in the `80s, Tower of Power carried the torch for full-on 10-piece bands, often even including a conguero/percussionist. The horn section is so pivotal to Tower of Power that unlike most band stage setups that have horns in the back, T.O.P.’s renowned and respected horn section is right up-front with the lead singer. Tower of Power is “a band so one-of-a-kind, it’s an institution!”

For tickets go to: https://lensic.org/events/tower-of-power/