These blasting hornsmen feature on a Little Feat live album Waiting For Columbus and that fact alone puts them in the Just Listen To This canon of master craftsmen.  The albums issued in the Tower Of Power name are powered by kerosene bass, thundering drums, edgy chattering guitar and that incredibly punchy line of horns. The act visits the UK to celebrate half a century. Worth changing horses to attend one of the shows…and be Hip.. 

California music legends Tower of Power – the most dynamic and distinctive band of survivors in soul music – have announced they will continue their milestone 50th anniversary celebrations with three very special UK shows in May 2019.

The tour commences on Tuesday 28th May 2019 at Town Hall, Birmingham, United Kingdom and will then visit O2 Ritz, Manchester, United Kingdom on Wednesday 29th May before wrapping things up at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom on Thursday 30th May 2019.

Ticket links can be found below. 

Tower Of Power’s co-founder Emilio Castillo said, “Our UK fans are some of favourite in the whole world, and all of us in Tower of Power are truly thrilled to be coming back to play some deeply funky music at three very special UK shows as part of our 50th anniversary. We’ll see you there.”

In June this year, Tower of Power released the centrepiece of their 50th anniversary, the dynamic and definitively titled ‘Soul Side of Town’. As always, the songs were primarily composed by the hit making team of founding members Emilio Castillo (Detroit-born on 2nd tenor sax) and Stephen “Doc” Kupka (Los Angeles-born on baritone sax), who also hold down the world famous 5-man Tower of Power Horns. Along with the legendary rhythm section of drummer David Garibaldi and bassist Francis Rocco Prestia, respectively, these decorated veterans have custom-crafted a hair-raising audio experience that long-time fans, music connoisseurs and a new generation of listeners will groove to for years to come.

Along with veteran members Castillo, Kupka, Garibaldi and Prestia, T.O.P. consists of guitarist Jerry Cortez, Hammond B3 organist/keyboardist Roger Smith, 1st tenor saxophonist Tom Politzer, and trumpeters Adolfo Acosta and Sal Cracchiolo, and powerhouse vocalist Marcus Scott.

Since its formation in Oakland in 1968, Tower of Power has forged a reputation as a crack band of high achieving musicians fluent in all realms of soul, rock and pop music with a sophistication and punch like that of a jazz big band.

From their first album East Bay Grease (1970) on rock impresario Bill Graham’s San Francisco Records label (distributed by Atlantic), the interracial band became pillars and signatures of The Bay Area music scene that included pioneering like-minded bands such as Sly & The Family Stone, Cold Blood, Graham Central Station, The Pointer Sisters and The Sons of Champlin, plus rock-oriented outfits such as Santana, Betty Davis and Journey.

Beginning with their sophomore release, Tower of Power came to prominence with a string of acclaimed albums on Warner Bros. Records: Bump City (1972), Tower of Power (1973), Back to Oakland (1974), Urban Renewal (1974), In the Slot (1975) and Live and in Living Color (1976). A move to Columbia Records resulted in three more major label releases and their last top-charting hit, ‘You Ought To Be Havin’ Fun’. Including all studio albums, live albums and rarities anthologies, T.O.P. has 24 previous releases in its burgeoning catalogue.

In addition to T.O.P.’s classic recordings, the 5-piece Tower of Power Horns became much in demand for studio sessions and live gigs. Among the hundreds of artists they have blessed with their presence are Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Graham Central Station, Elton John, Little Feat, Billy Preston, John Lee Hooker, Coke Escovedo, Jose Feliciano, Al Kooper, Sammy Hagar, Rod Stewart, Peter Frampton, Jermaine Jackson, Harvey Mason, Lenny White, The Brothers Johnson, The Meters, Lee Oskar, Dionne Warwick, Melissa Manchester, Bobby Caldwell, Heart, Rick James, Santana, Smokey Robinson, Huey Lewis & The News, Toto, Paul Shaffer, Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Spyro Gyra, Terence Trent D’Arby, Luther Vandross, Candy Dulfer, Aerosmith, Phish, John Hiatt, Neil Diamond, P.Diddy, Bill Wyman, Eiko Shuri…and TV’s The Simpsons (Sing The Blues).

Pete Sargeant