# CD review: Tower of Power – Step Up 2020: Video, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2020/03/21/cd-review-tower-of-power-step-up-2020-video-cd-cover/
- Published: 2020-03-21T20:41:35+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Tower of Power – or TOP, as they’re known in some corners – has _still_ got it
goin’ on. After 52 years in the game, the legendary Oakland soul-funk group continues
to churn out new music and tour extensively.**

Today the 10-piece band premieres the title track off their forthcoming 27th album,
_Step Up_, on American Songwriter. It’s a freewheeling soul-funk number that sees
the group at their grooviest, showcasing Jerry Cortez’s guitar chops and a stunning
organ solo by keyboardist Roger Smith. Meanwhile, the band’s famed horn section 
sounds just as dynamic as ever, punctuating “Step Up” with rhythmic spurts of saxophone
and trumpet. But the song is ultimately carried by electric lead and back-up vocals
that will make you want to get up and dance.

_Step Up_ follows Tower of Power’s superb 50th anniversary album–2018’s _Soul Side
of Town_–though each of the records’ 14 songs were recorded during the same session.

“Our latest recording was a deep labor of love because we were coming up on 50 years
together as a group,” explains TOP founder, tenor saxophonist, and vocalist Emilio
Castillo. “One of my old managers told me it was not the time to just throw together
12 songs quickly. He said we needed to make the best CD of our career and the only
way to do that was to do the ‘Michael Jackson Method,’ which was to record 25 songs
or so and then pick the best 12. That was my primary aim and motivation throughout
the whole project. We wound up cutting 28 all-new original songs and the new record
company loved all of it so we wound up releasing two CDs: ‘Soul Side Of Town’ and
now ‘Step Up.’”

Tower of Power’s lineup has gone through many iterations over the years, but the
band is currently rounded out by lead vocalist Marcus Scott, baritone saxophonist
Stephen “Doc” Kupka, bassist Marc Van Wageningen, drummer David Garibaldi, lead 
tenor saxophonist Tom Politzer, trumpeter Adolfo Acosta, and trumpeter Sal Cracchiolo
in addition to Cortez, Smith, and Castillo. Van Wageningen replaced longtime TOP
bassist Francis ‘Rocco’ Prestia, who is featured on _Step Up_ but no longer tours
with the band (TOP’s last lead vocalist, Ray Greene, is also featured on _Step Up_).

As with previous Tower of Power releases, _Step Up _sees Castillo and his crew pulling
from R&B, jazz, rock, blues, and pop to craft songs that feel intensely alive and
expansive. For Castillo, this quality is a natural outcome of his songwriting process.

“Staying relevant as a songwriter isn’t something I think about very much,” says
Castillo. “I just write and then endeavor to make the best recording of the song
I can and let the chips fall where they may. Fortunately for me, our songs have 
turned out to have a timeless quality.”

When asked about his band’s staying power, Castillo was quick to credit his collaborators–
both earthly and divine.

“As far as longevity goes,” says Castillo, “I’ve been blessed to work with some 
very wonderful and talented people. I make the music exactly as I want it to be,[
which] makes it really easy to go to work on a daily basis. And then before I knew
it I was in my 52nd year. I give God all the credit!”

**Tracks**

01. East Bay! All the Way! (0:54)
 02. Step Up (5:10) 03. The Story of You and I(
4:47) 04. Who Would Have Thought? (3:58) 05. Addicted to You (4:45) 06. Look in 
My Eyes (3:44) 07. You da One (4:23) 08. Sleeping with You Baby (5:43) 09. If It’s
Tea Give Me Coffee (3:16) 10. Beyond My Wildest Dreams (4:52) 11. Any Excuse Will
Do (4:41) 12. If You Wanna Be a Winner (3:21) 13. Let’s Celebrate Our Love (4:36)
14. East Bay! Oaktown All the Way! (1:05)

![Image result for Tower of Power - Step Up](https://i0.wp.com/i.ytimg.com/vi/_3A660mflN4/
maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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