****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
If you're a fan of the East Bay soul sound, you should check out Mic Gillette's "Ear Candy". Mic is one of the founding members of Tower of Power, perhaps most recognizable for his solo trumpet intro on ToP's "You're Still a Young Man", and still blows a mean trumpet, flugelhorn and trombone. Mic is joined on this recording by other original members of Tower of Power; Doc Kupka, Emilio Castillo, Skip Mesquite, Greg Adams and Roco Prestia. Other guests include Lenny Williams, Bill Champlin, Chester Thompson, Mark Russo and Paul Jackson. This accumulation of experienced musical talent adds up to all the rollicking bump, sass and perfection the cuts deserve.Just to set the tone, the CD opens with "Funky Good Time" (James Brown), showcasing Mic's trombone (and continues to serve as interludes between cuts). Then Ms. Monet, who is currently singing backup for Boz Scaggs, sings Etta James' "Tell Mama" as if it were her own, with all the strength and commitment of the original, backed by many of the original Tower of Power guys. Then Lenny Williams takes lead vocals on "I Like That", a mellow song penned by Mic and his wife, Julia, that suits Lenny's sweet voice and Mic's horn arrangement perfectly. "Before I Go" offers a Latin influenced instrumental, allowing Mic and his band to stretch out in a jazzier setting, followed by "How Was I to Know", sung by Bill Champlin's soulful tenor and assisted by Chester Thompson's Hammond B-3. Five cuts in and we've traveled the world of soul and jazz music, with the last three being written by Mic and Julia Gillette.Another excellent ballad, "If Only for a Moment", also written by Mic and Julia, is sung expertly by San Francisco's Fred Ross. "Abaco" returns us to the rhythmic pulse of a Latin instrumental, with guitar licks reminiscent of early funk. "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)", backed by the Tower of Power alums, is a fun piece of funk sung by Bill Champlin. "If" is a smooth piece of jazz, complete with vibes, that favors Mic's rich trombone playing. The CD concludes with Henry Mancini's "It Had Better Be Tonight", even starting off with the scratchy sounds of a phonograph needle on vinyl. It's a fitting tribute, with horns, voices and rhythm section all intertwining around the Latin melody like wild, exotic birds soaring in the Caribbean sunset. Picante!All summed up, it is indeed a funky good time. "Ear Candy" is on Doc Kupka's Strokeland Records, where he's assembled a fine stable of performers and catalog of recordings that keep the East Bay soul and horn sound alive and thriving.Skip
