Tower of Power’s Wall of Sound Descends on Fort Pierce, FL: [Review]
Fresh off completing five incendiary performances in Florida, seminal funk/soul/R&B/jazz fusion ensemble Tower of Power show no signs of slowing down as they make their way across the U.S. in celebration of 56 years together. With stops in Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, Fort Myers. and Orlando, Tower of Power kicked things off in Fort Pierce on February 4, where their unrivaled wall of sound descended on the city’s historic Sunrise Theatre.
Fans packed the 1,200-seat venue for a vibrant 90-minute performance that belied the band’s age. Led by Tower of Power founder, saxophonist, vocalist, and MC Emilio Castillo, the band (vocalist Mike Ferel, bassist Marc van Wageningen, guitarist Jerry Cortez, keyboardist Roger Smith, baritone saxophonist, Stephen “Doc” Kupka, tenor saxophonist, Tom E. Politzer, trumpeter/trombonist Dave Richards, flugelhorn/trumpeter Adolfo Acosta, and drummer Herman Matthews) marshalled the audience through a joyful romp of fan favorites and hits.
Opening appropriately enough with “We Came To Play” and “Soul With A Capital ’S’”, the 10-piece ensemble uncorked their signature East Bay funk that continues to mark them as one of the most influential, boundary-busting outfits of the modern jazz/funk fusion era. Starting with their debut album East Bay Grease and the 20-plus, studio releases that would follow, Tower of Power imprinted on bands as diverse as Spyro Gyra, Prince, De La Soul, The Beastie Boys, Lettuce, and many others.
Tower of Power revealed its soulful side with “You Out To Be Havin’ Fun,” a lyrical delight of harmonies and horns. Lead vocalist Mike Ferel kept the funk flowing on the 1972 classic “You Got To Fukifize” with Tom Politzer unleashing a hair-raising dose of tenor saxophone and baritone saxophonist Stephen Kupka providing a solid bottom. (Who knew baritone sax could be so sexy?) Emilio Castillo seemed to sense the audience was itching to get out of there seats to boogie when he invited a select few to demonstrate the ’70s dance “The Bump” before jumping into their chart-topper “Down To The Nightclub.”
[“You Got To Funkifize” 02/24/24 at The Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce, FL}
It turns out the horn section’s hidden superpower is their vocal skills as demonstrated by their flawless harmonies on the stately soul hit “You’re Still a Young Man.” The spell cast by this tune was broken by “Soul Vaccination,” a song that solidifies Tower of Power’s horns as one of the tightest outfits in the business. The song also provided drummer Herman Matthews the chance to shine. Affectionately dubbed “The Hermanator,” Matthews, who was drummer for Tower of Power from 1994-1998, has big shoes to fill. He is replacing the band’s longtime drummer David Garibaldi, who announced his retirement last December. Matthews powerful, funky beats left no doubt that he did not come to mess around.
The groove-driven instrumental “Squib Cakes” featured crisp, spirited horns, fiery guitar riffs and an ace rhythm section that underscored keyboardist Roger Smith’s deft work on the organ. Start to finish, each player would get their moment including fiery solos from guitarist Jerry Cortez and trumpeter Adolfo Acosta.
Emilio Castillo gleefully declared he’s still “Diggin’ on James Brown” for the band’s crowd pleasing JB Medley that encompassed 10-minutes of pure funkiness and joyful grooves. Channeling the godfather himself, Mike Ferel personified funkified soul unbound.
The sublime soulful strains of “So Very Hard to Go” gave fans the chance to catch their breath before “What Is Hip?” – a question asked and answered – drove the crowd to their feet. They were still on their feet minutes later for “To Say The Least, You’re The Most,” an encore that demanded full participation by every audience member.
[“What Is Hip?,” 02/24/24, Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce, FL]
Tower of Power resumes their tour on February 17 in Sparks, NV with more dates scheduled across the U.S. through April 21 when they appear in Murrieta, CA. For more information including a complete list of tour dates, click on the links below.
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