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Big City Blues – Aug.-Sept.
2002
By George Seedorff
Hats off to Severn for signing this
guy and putting out an album as unique as this. But how do you
explain to the stranger how this man makes his golden funky
blues guitar work spin into orbit? The firestorm of great singers
he has collected together pay off like an exceptional day at
the track. If you could weld the art of great blues and R&B
singing to the guitar, let’s say the power of singing
greats like Delbert McClinton or Etta James, then you’ve
got a glimpse of how Bruce Conte can lay down his licks on a
good day.
With Les Paul goldtop in hand, Conte reflects the kind of gold
standard with which he approaches the art of the electric guitar.
The singers he has chosen for this album may not be well known
yet, but the point is that they ought to be. Conte’s take
on wall-to-wall vocal soul power begins with Christopher Galvin,
whose range bridges the gap masterfully between Delbert McClinton
and Robert Cray as he shows on “Too Much Cool” (track
1), “Mojo Mambo” (track 5) and “There’s
Room At The Top” (track 11).
Soul singer Ellis Hall is infectious with his high registration,
reminiscent as it is of Eddy Kendricks also crackles along the
edges down low sort of like Sly Stone as evidenced on “Nowhere
To Go” (track 2). The trash talking Ed Reddick on “I
Met A Girl” (track 3) takes the CD all the way to funky
town with vocal phrasing that rival a first rate alto sax player
in a funk band.
What Ed Reddick is to the alto sax, Bobby Kimball is to the
tenor sax on “Chasin’ The Blues” (track 4)
and likewise to Tin Scott on “Just Won’t Act Right”
(track 6). Here and throughout the album Conte’s guitar
breaks are the continuing motif that unify all these great singers.
He is characteristically gleeful with girl signer Windy Barnes
for good reason. Her performance earns radio airplay rights
with her gospel-tinged take on the blues with “Too Sad
To Sing The Blues” (track 7). Barnes brings to mind the
vocal prowess long ago shown in different ways by classic songbirds
Freda Payne, Betty Wright and Tammy Terrell.
With all the narrative command you’d expect from Curtis
Mayfield, Lenny Williams shows just what he can do on “Bullet
Proof” (track 9), which also deserves airplay. Conte’s
own vocal attack ranges form workmanlike with “It’s
Always Darkest Just Before The Dawn” (track 8) to dead
on with “Feel So Bad” (track 10). “Snatch
It Back And Hold It” (track 11) is a funky jazz triumph
of the first order featuring some of Conte’s best licks.
Hammond organ master Steve Stephens makes this one an instant
groove classic.
Bruce Conte makes this recording a pure funk attack from start
to finish. But it is the singers that give Bullet Proof much
of its glorious jolt.
Stone Hut Music (Australia)
–
Fall of 2002
By John Bates
Bruce Conte is the former guitarist
from Tower of Power. A veteran who has been playing for thirty-seven
years. In the early seventies an opening slot with Tower of
Power eventually helped Bruce Conte land the guitarist spot.
This association with TOP lasted seven years and resulted
in eight recordings. Having spent many years in 1988. During
the late nineties, Bruce recorded two Jazz CDs and one Blues
release, “Rhythm Meets the Blues”.
The self produced “Bullet Proof” was originally
released during late 2000 as “Rhythm Meets The Blues”.
It was recorded using a who’s who of L.A. musicians.
Some of the vocalists used are Lenny Williams, Gavin Christopher,
Windy Barnes, Ed Reddick, Tim Scott and Toto front man Bobby
Kimball. The opening track “Too Much Cool” and
“It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn” are
the only originals.
“Bullet Proof”
is a great Blues release for Bruce Conte, with him retaining
his R&B and funk sound. Some of the tunes are “I
Met A Girl”, “Too Sad to Sing The Blues”
with Windy Barnes singing up a storm, “Mojo Manbo”,
“Nowhere to Go” and a tasty instrumental version
of “Snatch it Back And Holt It”. Conte takes over
the vocal spot on “It’s Always Darkest Before
The Dawn” and “Feel So Bad”. Bruce Conte
is Currently looking at a second Blues release. Let’s
hope it’s sooner rather than later, because I can’t
wait.
Suncoast Blues Society –
July/August 2002
By MER
So who’s this Bruce Conte anyway?
I turn the CD over in my hands. A picture shows a guy with
a high priest’s collar and small bowler hat holding
a lovely blonde (maple?) Gibson “Les Paul’. His
‘straight ahead’ gaze reflects the music to come.
He plays that pretty guitar spare, lean, clean. No bad boy
histrionics here. In a previous life Bruce was guitarist for
Tower of Power. My first thought, there’s a lot of vocals
and horns here-not my favorite things. Then I listened and
these people are GOOD!
There’s lots of featured L.A.
artists, virtually a different vocalist on every cut. On Mojo
Mambo, A rocky, Louisiana-reminiscent number, there’s
eight musicians. Just Won’t Act Right has a much sparer
line-up. Mr. Conte adds pretty licks and emphasis to Tim Scott’s
rough, happy voice. Julian Molina on bass and Steve Stephens
on drums provide a flexible, professional rhythm section.
Larry Williams’ keyboards is quality clean stuff. On
Too Sad to Sing The Blues, Windy Barnes gives a raucous ‘up’
feeling to the vocals.
It’s Always Darkest Before the
Dawn is one of two cuts Bruce wrote. He croons an almost ‘torchy’
ballad and manages to throw in some warm, honeyed licks as
well. When he and that Les Paul solo, they’ve got my
attention! The longer I listen the more they own me. Bullet
Proof starts out with a jazzy, urban bar feel. Lenny Williams’
vocals cut in to reinforce the Superfly sensation. Michael
Acosta on sax and John Fumo on trumpet supply a relaxed yet
alert edge. Bruce has that guitar talking about some suspicious
stuff.
Feel So Bad is a sparse, funky treatment
of a sad situation. Bruce’s voice and guitar work are
plaintive while Tom McMorran’s keyboards and Herman
Matthews’ drums are more out front then the previous
purveyor’s of these instruments. There’s Room
At the Top is a horn-y comment on movin’ up, like someone
walking fast with a purpose.
I started out under impressed, but
now I’m sold. Catch an audio glimpse of this pretty
baby when you get a chance
Journal
de Montreal
by
Christophe Rodriguez
Review
date: April 29 2002
Bruce
Conte "Bullet Proof" (Severn CD 649436-0015)
While
not yet well known by blues fans, singer/guitarist, Bruce Conte,
should be found noticeably on the rise with his first album.
Despite the harsh title, "Bulletproof," the 12 (songs)
do not really smell the gun powder. In addition to this
group of four, some impressive guests help the blues band explore
a diverse range of music, delving into soul, funk and gospel.
In all, great work. All should be entertained.
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Bruce
Conte
Bullet
Proof
Severn
CD 0015Review date: June 2002
Originally
recorded in 2000 under the name Rhythm Meets The Blues, former
Tower of Power guitarist Bruce Conte uses the material for his elegant
Severn debut, Bullet Proof. Conte, a West Coast native, honed
his skills playing the local San Francisco clubs. In the early 70s,
his band landed the opener for hometown heroes, Tower of Power. Soon
after, he was recruited by TOP and stayed for seven years. During that
time, he released eight albums with the band. His signature licks can
be found on TOP hits like "What Is Hip." After an ‘80s stint
in Las Vegas and a brief jazz retreat in the ‘90s, Bruce is back on
familiar ground, flexing his soul and funk-drenched skills. For this
12-song, 55-minute disc, Conte assembled an all star cast of L.A. musicians.
Guest vocalists include Bobby Kimball (Toto), former TOP band mate Lenny
Williams, and Windy Barnes, whose singing is spectacular. Gavin Christopher
(Rufus) and his Stevie Wonder-sounding voice (circa Songs In The
Key Of Life) get chilling on "Too Much Cool." On the track,
Conte lays out an emotionally-felt solo. It sets the mood for the song
deeper than the tune’s lyrics! "Nowhere To Go" is R&B
driven primarily due to the adult contemporary keyboarding of Larry
Williams. Super funky vocals are provided by Ellis Hall on this disco-era
flashback track. Don’t let the title of "Chasin’ The Blues"
fool you. The song is smooth jazz and features the big city nightclub
sounding sax of Andre Roberson. Here, Conte’s guitar more than hints
at jazz fusion. Listeners will be anything but motionless during "Just
Won’t Act Right." Bruce plays relentlessly while Tim Scott sings
feverishly on this bluesy boogie. "It’s Always Darkest Before The
Dawn" is a real bluestime of the slower persuasion, where Conte
exercises his vocal chops. The instrumental "Snatch It Back and
Hold It" is nothing like the original version. However, Hans Zermuelhen’s
keys are fascinating. Ed Reddick proves he is as gifted an entertainer
as singer on "I Met A Girl." He elicits Conte to be as fulfilling
and sexy. The song has a blues pattern and welcomed pumping/driving
horns of Michael Acosta/John Fumo. On the title track, the horns are
forceful. Here, Fumo drives his trumpet with the impact of a speeding
bullet. "There’s Room at The Top" is further loaded with driving
force and brazen brass. Its as close to sounding like ToP as the CD
gets. This self-produced disc is a nice, tasty break from the sometimes
monotonous 12 bar blues. However, the production was evasive in capturing
a full, rich sound and the pop-funk tunes will not make you emote like
the blues does. The songs are average yet they bump, grind, and sure
are hip. Although he is understated, Bruce Conte shows he is a disciplined
and professional guitar player. His solos are slick and polished. Fans
of electric guitar will crave more. Even though it is his CD, you will
admire the fact that he does not showboat. It is obvious this disc was
a group effort. For CDs, booking and information, contact: Severn Records
Inc., PO Box 1450, Millersville, MD 21108 website
www.severnrecords.com,
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CD Review
Bruce Conte
Bullet Proof
(2002 Severn Records - CD-0015)
by Craig Ruskey
Review date: April 2002
Bruce
Conte's name should be recognized well outside the blues idiom,
coming from a tenure of seven years and eight recordings with
Tower Of Power, but there's little question that his efforts work
seamlessly with a blues-roux as the main ingredient. Originally
worked up in 2000, this previously unreleased, self-produced offering
has everything necessary to garner a wide audience.
"Too
Much Cool" leads off with a funky groove and the rasping
vocals of Gavin Christopher while Conte steps up with some solid
blues chops on guitar, and Ellis Hall exercises his gripping voice
for "Nowhere To Go," with a back-and-forth feel that
settles into an
R&B
workout. "I Met A Girl" features Ed Reddick (formerly
of Rufus) at the microphone on a stop-time blues with fine horn
charts and more excellent guitar from Conte's battered Les Paul,
and Bobby Kimball (Toto) puts out some hefty singing on "Chasin'
The Blues," which also features Andre Roberson's simmering
sax work. Christopher has the spotlight on the New Orleans-flavored
"Mojo Mambo" and "Just Won't Act Right," a
sizzling shuffle, shows Tim Scott to be a potent singer, while
Windy Barnes opens the furnace door for "Too Sad To Sing
The Blues," her vocals a standout. Conte takes his first
of two spots singing on the slow and gripping original, "It's
Always Darkest Before The Dawn," and there's little doubt
his voice has the ability to be as spellbinding as his guitar,
while Lenny Williams, former Tower Of Power band mate, takes the
point for the title track offering striking, soulful vocals. The
Chuck Willis gem, "Feel So Bad," finds Conte behind
the microphone once again, and makes one wonder why his voice
only shows up twice, he's simply that good. There's a definite
Tower Of Power feel on "There's Room At The Top" with
Gavin Christopher handling the lead spot for his third track,
and closing out with Junior Wells' classic, "Snatch It Back
And Hold It," nearly vocal-less, gives Conte more room to
stretch out.
Tower
Of Power was one of the more impressive bands from a number of
years ago to make the charts while using blues for its foundation,
and Bruce Conte's work then was no more stellar than here, on
"Bullet Proof." His guitar abilities seem endless, yet
there's no grandstanding, and as a producer, he has managed to
bring the absolute best out of the wide and varied cast on this
CD. Carrying a band of at least a dozen people, to handle the
excellent variety on this offering, probably won't happen on the
festival or spotlight club circuit, but with Conte's soul-drenched
pipes, he could strip back the fat and still be a showstopper
with half that number. Contact
www.severnrecords.com or
http://bruceconte.com
for necessary details.
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Bruce
Conte will ‘mix it up’ in Tacoma shows
By Rick Nelson
If you like good guitar work, Saturday’s show at the Swiss and
a benefit at Jillian’s on Sunday look like good places to get
an earful. Bruce Conte, who was with Tower of Power for seven
years, is bringing bassist Julian Molina to sit in with drummer
Michael Kinder and Ric Ulski on piano and organ.
Conte called Tuesday after a rehearsal and said he liked the quartet’s
sound. “Ulski plays with Chuck Berry,” Conte said, “and Kinder
is a good drummer.”
Tacomans already know about Kinder, who performs regularly at
the Swiss and the Harmon, but it’s been awhile since Conte made
his reputation during Tower of Power’s heyday of ’72 to’79.
“I
came in on the third album, “Tower of Power,” Conte said. “I wrote
at least one song on every album I was on, seven of them.”
The Tower scored with songs such as “Down to the Nightclub,” “Bump
City,” “Still a Young Man” and “What is Hip?” and Conte’s ballads
provided balance for the funky hits. Among the tunes he wrote
were “Just Another Day,” “Love’s Been Gone So long” and “It Can
Never Be the Same.”
What was it like playing in a band so strongly associated with
its horn section? Did playing with the horns put any special demands
on him as a guitarist?
“Yes
and no,” Conte said. “The rhythm section in that band played a
real different 16th-note style of play. It was kind of busy, but
the band pulled it off. A lot of times the guitar is playing a
kind of rhythm around the horn parts or doubling the horn parts.
But it’s not that different for the guitarist. If you’re playing
in a quartet, a lot of times the keyboard player is playing parts
that a horn player would play if there was a horn section.”
After leaving the Tower, Conte played with El Chicano for eight
years and worked as a session player in Los Angeles. “You free-lance
in that town,” he said, “because there is so much different stuff
to do.”
Conte is touring to promote his new album, “Right From My Heart.”
It is highly melodic and carefully crafted to fit the “smooth-jazz”
radio format.
“I
like melodic music anyway, but I choose the smooth-jazz route
because I wanted to get my records on the radio. In order to get
airplay these days, you have to be consistent in whatever format
you go for.
“But
in my show I like to mix it up. We’ll do blues, R&B and smooth
jazz. We’re going to do the Tower tunes “Don’t change Horses (In
the Middle of a Stream)” and “What is Hip?” “Don’t Changes Horses’
is off the “Back to Oakland” album, which was recorded in Seattle.
It’s an old Johnny “Guitar” Watson song.
“And
from my album, we’ll do ‘Right from My Heart,’ ‘Never,’ ‘Rocky’s
Cruise’ and the instrumental ‘Coo’s Bay.’ ‘Never’ is a pretty
one.”
Radio trends come and go, but Conte is a pro. Whatever style he
chooses will be used to produce high-quality music. ¨
Right
From The Heart
"I'm
honored to be among the first to hear Bruce's first solo CD project,
and I was immediately impressed by the elegance of the interplay
between the acoustic and electric guitars. Bruce is an extremely
tasteful guitarist, playing a creative mixture of melodic and
R & B funk material. I've always enjoyed his unique style."
CHESTER THOMPSON Keyboardist for Santana and
Tower of Power
"RIGHT FROM THE HEART", Bruce's first solo CD show's
a ton more versatility than I've ever heard from Bruce. the title
track is definitely my kind of groove. His "funk" playing
has always been unparalleled but on this outing he opens up, digs
in and tells it like it is. Smooth Jazz should welcome this venture
with open arms. More guitarists should take note of this project
as it should also serve as a great lesson in not only the "Funk"
but Bruce's sensitivity on the ballads leaves no stones unturned.
PHIL UPCHURCH Guitarist for George Benson, Whitney
Houston, Quincy Jones, Jimmy Smith
"Bruce's new solo CD shows a really good blend of smooth
jazz and vintage "Bruce Conte style" funk. He is one
of the masters, and one of my favorites. The title says it all
- he plays "RIGHT FROM THE HEART", with soul and passion.
Bruce and I are currently rehearsing for some gigs together to
promote the new CD, and I am really looking forward to it."
AL McKAY Guitarist for Earth Wind and Fire
"I think Bruce Conte is one of the best guitarists in the
business. (Bullet Proof) fits the current Blues style while retaining
the Funk and R&B sound Bruce is famous for. I enjoy his new
CD immensely."
Steve Perry, Journey
"I've
listened to Bruce Conte several times, very tasty stuff."
Larry Lisk, WMNF, Tampa/St. Petersburg FL
The Fresno Bee – December
15, 2000
By Don
Mayhew
It’s a homecoming weekend for Bruce Conte-in more ways that
one.
The former guitarist for Tower of Power, who was born in Sanger
and grew up in Fresno, is celebrating the release of his new
compact disc with a show at Club Fred at 9:30 tonight.
The disc, “Rhythm Meets the Blues,” is a return to a funky,
boisterous sound that Conte downplayed while recording a couple
of soft jazz albums during the last ‘90s.
“What I got from other producers is, you either do smooth
jazz or an R&B-blues venue,” Conte says. “I don’t
like to do just one thing. But when you make a record,
that’s what they want.”
Conte gets help on “Rhythm Meets the Blues” from several singers
with whom he’s worked over the years. Gavin Christopher
(Rufus), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Ellis Hall and Lenny Williams
(both Tower of Power) make guest appearances.
It was the first time Conte has worked with more than one
singer on one of his CDs. Because of their busy schedules,
the toughest part was getting them into the studio.
Once that happened, Conte says, it was a cakewalk.
“They just came in and, in one or two takes, they have it,”
Conte says.
Conte’s smooth jazz was recorded with a lot of studio wizardry
and computers. He was happy to get back to an organic
approach.
“All the soloing is done live, so there’s interplay between
the band members,” Conte says. “You capture the emotion
in the music. To me, it’s faster when you work that
way, too.”
Admission tonight costs $7. Details: 233-3733.
¨
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L.A. Jazz Scene – December 1999
By Jim
Santella
Alongside Bruce Conte’s lyrical guitar rests an arsenal of
programmed electronic sounds. Nothing natural comes
of it, but the rhythmic back beat and surrounding effects
offer a toe-tapping session suited for a smooth jazz radio
format. His guitar plays melodies that swing; however,
the format does not allow for stretching out. Instead,
the various ensembles follow Conte’s repeated melodies and
smooth out all the rough edges.
Fills from Larry Williams’ tenor saxophone and John Furmo’s
tightly muted trumpet add a touch of variety to the pro-gram.
A guest appearance from guitarist Chris Standring on “Rumor
Has It” and support from keyboardist David Garfield on three
tracks adds a further dimension. Conte attacks “Something
Special” and “D-Funct” with fiery melodic lines, echoing a
rock influence and unbridled enthusiasm. “Up Till Now”
stands out as the hottest track in jazz/rock vein, as keyboardist
Tom McMorran catches fire and John Fumo’s open trumpet provides
added smoke. Moon Calhoun sings “Queen of L.A.,” a reference
to Holly-wood’s bright neon lights and glamour. Conte
sings “Fools Rush In” overdubbed with rich harmony like that
of The Four Freshmen as well as a lovely heartfelt ballad
“If I Had Half a Change (I’d Fall in Love With You).”
Conte was with Tower of Power from 1972 to 1979 and has worked
“in the shadows” of several L.A. contemporary jazz leaders.
This, his second solo album, finds Conte right at the heart
of smooth jazz and standing tall on his own.
¨
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The Fresno
Bee – October 28, 1977
By David
Hale
Everybody knows Tower of Power is from Oakland, but there
will still be a strong flavor of a homecoming about the big
band’s appearance Sunday night in the Fresno Sheraton In.
It isn’t just that the group has been a dependable box office
attraction here since the very first album, “East Bay Grease”
several years ago.
The reason for a lot of fans in the crowd will be the presence
in the band of two familiar faces – Fresno musicians Bruce
Conte, lead guitarist, and Victor Conte, bassist.
Members of an old – and large – family of Contes from Sanger,
Bruce and Victor are still mistakenly assumed to be brothers,
though they are cousins.
The confusion is familiar: The pair began playing in
a “family” rhythm and blues band as junior high school students
back in the early 1960s. Through high school (Bruce
at Roosevelt, Victor at McLane), they dominated the rhythm
sections of several local bands. Probably best known
were Admiral Strange and Common Ground.
“Basically, what’s happened is that we’re back together again
after about eight years,” explained bassist Conte. “Except
for one album we did with Freddy Roulette in ’74, we’ve pretty
much gone our own way.”
How the Contes came to find themselves in one of the country’s
top pop bands would seem further proof of the old axiom about
success: It’s who you know, even in the billion dollar
business of rock and roll music.
“I moved to San Francisco in 1969,” Bruce said. “I was
in Loading Zone, one of the better San Francisco bands that
never made it. We shared rehearsal halls with Tower
of Power, about the time Bill Graham brought them out from
being just another club band. Loading Zone was secondbilled
to ‘em in some concerts. I even sat in with them around
town.”
It was 1972, Loading Zone had dis-banded and guitarist Conte
was discouraged, but suddenly came offers from the Steve Miller
Band, Coke and Pete Azevedo’s Azteca, and Tower of Power.
Tower of Power’s style, which Conte described as “slick, big
city funk” was closest to his rhythm and blues base.
Conte has been with the group ever since. Victor Conte
always wanted to be a musician, but his parents (Mr. And Mrs.
Victor Conte, Sr.) discouraged the idea. He was studying
accounting at Fresno City College and playing in a band on
weekends, but finally music won out.
“I got jobs with bands like the Pure Food and Drug Act and
Sugarcane Harris,” Conte said. “By the time I was making
$500 to $600 a week, my parents had accepted it.”
Only Victor Conte wasn’t really through paying his dues.
He found him-self back in Fresno doubling as business head
and musician with a quintet called Oasis.
Oasis was a good band, a dance band with a sound – horns and
a black, funky style – that some people compared with Tower
of Power. In a period of about two years, doing clubs
in Fresno and the Bay Area, Oasis acquired a following.
They even did a tour as backup band for Lenny Williams, former
lead singer of Tower. They thought they were on the
way up.
“We were just starting to do real good,” Victor said.
“We were starting to travel. Some of the other guys
saw what it would be like and just decided they didn’t want
to do it. We disbanded. Jimmy Walker, our drummer,
is retired in Casper, Wyo., and Jimmy Waller’s teaching school
in Santa Barbara.”
Victor Conte and another member of Oasis, a talented musician-writer
named Coleman Head, joined Bruce Conte in his Bay Area home.
Bassist Conte and Head were playing in a good club band, Baby
Fat, when Tower of Power needed a base player. Bruce
Conte, who was gradually building Tower’s rhythm section,
suggested to founder-leader Emilio Castillo, that Victor had
a unique bass sound that would fit in with Tower’s orchestration.
Victor wanted the job, if for no other reason that to be with
the cousin he thought of as a brother. He almost didn’t
get it because of the relationship.
“They interviewed nine bass players, including a guy from
Boz Scaggs. I was the last one. We’d (Oasis) had
toured with Tower, so they knew about me. They just
didn’t think ‘Family’ was a good idea. But I auditioned
with the band, and Emilio, he stopped the band in the middle
of the second tune, and said I was hired if I wanted it.”
For Victor Conte, to say nothing of Bruce, the scuffling days
would appear to be over.
Tower of Power, once with Warner Brothers records, has a fresh
contract worth about $2 million – Bruce’s esti-mate – with
Columbia, for five albums and an option for two more.
That puts the band born in the streets of Oakland in a league
with Earth Wind and Fire.
Bruce and Victor, well they aren’t on the cover of Rolling
Stone yet, but they recently signed a tidy contract with a
manufacturer to advertise strings – “what a picture of us”
– in Guitar Player. And the whole band just signed another
one to endorse amplifiers.
Thanks to the extra push of Columbia, the group’s last album,
“Ain’t Nothing Stopping Us Now,” released last Decem-ber had
a healthy run on the charts.
Friends from home (Fresno) are still helping out: Coleman
Head has con-tributed tunes to an upcoming album, as did Victor.
And Gary Smith, once a Fresno promoter and now co-manager
of Average White Band, signed Tower for the new tour which
will take the band to Phoenix, Portland and San Diego, as
well as Fresno. Indeed, it will be a rejuvenated Tower
of Power which will give the Halloween eve concert in Fresno.
Partly the reason is the counsel of new producer, Steve Cropper,
taking that burden off the shoulders of Emilio Castillo.
Cropper came to Tower of Power with heady credentials – Otis
Redding, Wilson Pickett, Albert King – and he made his presence
felt in the work on the new album, due out about Christmas.
“This is probably the most enthused the band’s been in a couple
of years,” Bruce said. “We had a streak of about three
albums where we seemed to be doing the same type tunes, formula,
you know.”
“But the new album is a definite change for us. We’re
known as a very tight, rehearsed band, but this one is dif-ferent.
It’s simpler, more spontaneous.”
“It’s more straight-ahead, more danceable,” Victor said.
“We didn’t really plan it that way,” Bruce said. “We
used to rehearse songs outside, then take them into the studio
and cut them that way. For this album, some of them
were written together, in the studio. We think it may
be our best yet.”
Tower of Power is knows as a “musicians band.” Acts
from Heart to Harold Melvin and James Brown have expressed
their admiration for the Oakland band.
“And,” says guitarist Conte, “we were in the Houston Astrodome,
and BB King was there. I mean, I used to copy his licks.
He came by and said I was a terrific guitarist. It blew
my mind!”
But when it comes down to it, what pleases the Fresno cousins,
both newly married, about Tower of Power is something middleclass
and workaday: Security.
“For 10 people in a band, it’s amazing how well we get along,”
Bruce said. “Partly it’s because there’s enough money
for everybody to be reasonably happy. We have Manhattan
Life, Blue Cross and full dental coverage. I don’t know
of a band that has all that.”
The O’Neill Brothers, a Fresno band, will appear with Tower
in the Good Times production Sunday at the Sheraton.
Ticks are $7.50 in Tower Records, J & C House of records
and the motel. ¨
Tower of Power, once with Warner Brothers records, has a fresh
contract worth about $2 million – Bruce’s esti-mate – with
Columbia, for five albums and an option for two more.
That puts the band born in the streets of Oakland in a league
with Earth Wind and Fire.
Bruce and Victor, well they aren’t on the cover of Rolling
Stone yet, but they recently signed a tidy contract with a
manufacturer to advertise strings – “what a picture of us”
– in Guitar Player. And the whole band just signed another
one to endorse amplifiers.
Thanks to the extra push of Columbia, the group’s last album,
“Ain’t Nothing Stopping Us Now,” released last Decem-ber had
a healthy run on the charts.
Friends from home (Fresno) are still helping out: Coleman
Head has con-tributed tunes to an upcoming album, as did Victor.
And Gary Smith, once a Fresno promoter and now co-manager
of Average White Band, signed Tower for the new tour which
will take the band to Phoenix, Portland and San Diego, as
well as Fresno. Indeed, it will be a rejuvenated Tower
of Power which will give the Halloween eve concert in Fresno.
Partly the reason is the counsel of new producer, Steve Cropper,
taking that burden off the shoulders of Emilio Castillo.
Cropper came to Tower of Power with heady credentials – Otis
Redding, Wilson Pickett, Albert King – and he made his presence
felt in the work on the new album, due out about Christmas.
“This is probably the most enthused the band’s been in a couple
of years,” Bruce said. “We had a streak of about three
albums where we seemed to be doing the same type tunes, formula,
you know.”
“But the new album is a definite change for us. We’re
known as a very tight, rehearsed band, but this one is dif-ferent.
It’s simpler, more spontaneous.”
“It’s more straight-ahead, more danceable,” Victor said.
“We didn’t really plan it that way,” Bruce said. “We
used to rehearse songs outside, then take them into the studio
and cut them that way. For this album, some of them
were written together, in the studio. We think it may
be our best yet.”
Tower of Power is knows as a “musicians band.” Acts
from Heart to Harold Melvin and James Brown have expressed
their admiration for the Oakland band.
“And,” says guitarist Conte, “we were in the Houston Astrodome,
and BB King was there. I mean, I used to copy his licks.
He came by and said I was a terrific guitarist. It blew
my mind!”
But when it comes down to it, what pleases the Fresno cousins,
both newly married, about Tower of Power is something middleclass
and workaday: Security.
“For 10 people in a band, it’s amazing how well we get along,”
Bruce said. “Partly it’s because there’s enough money
for everybody to be reasonably happy. We have Manhattan
Life, Blue Cross and full dental coverage. I don’t know
of a band that has all that.”
The O’Neill Brothers, a Fresno band, will appear with Tower
in the Good Times production Sunday at the Sheraton.
Ticks are $7.50 in Tower Records, J & C House of records
and the motel. ¨
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Whether it’s jazz, blues or R&B, Conte ‘just plays’
By Don
Mayhew
The
Fresno Bee
November
02 2001
Bruce Conte has been around the music business long enough
to know when to go with the flow.
The guitarist, who grew up in Sanger and played with Tower
of Power for many years before striking out on his own, will
celebrate his signing to independent label Severn Records
with a performance at Club Fred at 9 p.m. today.
Severn specializes in blues and rhythm ‘n’ blues. Conte’s
first release for the label will be “Rhythm Meets the Blues,”
which he released on his own early this year and will be reissued
on Severn in February. The deal calls for two more albums
from Conte.
Conte tried his hand at smooth jazz a few years ago but has
found a larger demand for good, old-fashioned R&B.
“I’ve always done it in my live show,” Conte says. While
contemporary jazz radio is tightening its play lists, “the
blues and R&B are wide open.”
Conte has been busy playing Las Vegas casinos lately.
“The bread’s good, but it’s not a good career area,” Conte
says. “To push records, it’s tough in the lounge and
showrooms. You don’t make noise out into the world too
much.”
So during the next year, Conte plans to play blues festivals
and tour up and down the West Coast, where he expects to do
pretty much what he always has done, no matter what you call
it.
“When I play live, I just play,” Conte says. “People
like to hear different stuff. But record companies want
you to be specialized. Jazz tunes, funk beats – they
don’t have to be real mellow stuff…I’ve gotten away with playing
what I wanted for a long time. It’s just in how you
put it together.”
Snippets of Conte’s music can be heard on his Web site,
www.bruceconte.com. Admission to Club Fred tonight
costs $7.
Details: 233-3733.¨ |
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