MUSIC REVIEW: Tower of Power at the Mahaiwe

Submitted by Seth Rogovoy on August 1, 2010 - 11:38pm

Classical Music

At Large

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MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Tower of Power
August 1, 2010

Review and photography by Seth Rogovoy

(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass., August 1, 2010) – After 42 years and tonight’s boisterously well-received concert at the Mahaiwe, soul-funk band Tower of Power shows no sign of missing a beat. In fact, the legendary horn-based group, that still boasts nearly half-a-dozen original members, was as tight and as entertaining as ever, and now fronted by Larry Braggs, who some consider to be the best vocalist ever to stand in front of the Oakland-born and bred ensemble.

Still led by founder and tenor saxophonist and occasional vocalist Emilio Castillo, the group boasted its trademark funk and showmanship in a non-stop, 90-minute program that included signature Tower of Power hit songs such as “What Is Hip?” and “So Very Hard to Go,” as well as an extended tribute to the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, and a cover of the classic soul ballad, “Me and Mrs. Jones,” which Larry Braggs killed (that’s a compliment of the highest order) and brought the house down.

It’s hard to say which is better – the group’s legendary horn section – five strong, including three saxophones, a trumpet and trombone – or the group’s incredibly tight rhythm section, including founding members David Garibaldi on drums, Francis Rocco Prestia on bass, and Jerry Cortez on guitar. So bright and powerful are the horns, it’s easy to overlook Prestia’s and Garibaldi’s lockstep rhythms – made a little harder due to an uneven sound mix that muffled Garibaldi (but fortunately not Prestia) – which push the group, allowing the horns to syncopate and soar.

All that brass, however, just cries out to be heard, and whenever Braggs, a stunningly powerful vocalist, took a rest, it was great to hear the horns take the lead. They dazzled with their short, tight solos, but they were mostly about ensemble playing; in that sense, they functioned must like a downsized swing band, albeit one playing James Brown-inspired funk for much of the evening.

Keyboardist Roger Smith took the spotlight on one number in which he displayed mastery of his Hammond B-3 organ played through what appeared to be a vintage Leslie speaker, giving it that distinctive, lattice-like sound patented by Garth Hudson of The Band.

Tower of Power apparently maintains a loyal, hardcore following, as there were plenty in the audience who knew the band’s cues verbatim. While the group has a tried-and-true stage show, it didn’t come off as slick, and the players worked their mostly big behinds and bellies off, playing with synchronized gestures, dance moves, and even sweet vocal harmonies.

Tower of Power captures the very distinctive sound of early 1970s Northern California funk, but it’s a great sound that still translates and excites, even to a New England audience, many of whom appeared to be old enough to have been following the group since its earliest days. Like the group’s spiritual and musical godfather, Tower of Power is easily one of the hardest working bands in show business.

Seth Rogovoy is Berkshire Living’s award-winning editor-in-chief and music critic.

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