Artist: Brass Fever
Profile:
Formed in Los Angeles in 1975, Brass Fever was a short-lived group of session players that recorded two instrumental jazz-funk albums for ABC: 1975’s Brass Fever and 1976’s Time Is Running Out. Brass Fever was an appropriate name for the group, which employed no less than five trombonists on its first album and four on its second. Brass Fever wasn’t a full-time gig for any of the participants, who included guitarist Lee Ritenour, trombonist George Bohanon, and trumpeter Oscar Brashear — it was merely a side project for them. One of the things that most of the participants had in common was the fact that they could handle jazz and R&B equally well; they were the sort of versatile guys who would have been capable of improvising with Chick Corea one minute and backing Aretha Franklin the next. They weren’t bop snobs, and they were heavily influenced by the Crusaders (as opposed to the Jazz Crusaders). Although full of busy, well-known musicians, Brass Fever itself was quite obscure. Brass Fever and Time Is Running Out received very little attention, and in 1976, the band called it quits. Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
In an ideal world, both of Brass Fever’s LPs — Brass Fever from 1975 and Time Is Running Out from 1976 — would be reissued back-to-back on a single CD. But that is unlikely to happen because there isn’t much of a demand for the out of print albums. So the only thing to do is search for them at a place that sells a lot of 1970s vinyl. Brass Fever is the more essential of the two; Time Is Running Out is uneven but does have its moments. The title track has little to do with jazz — it’s an infectious soul/disco vocal number featuring the Jones Girls. But most of the time, Brass Fever offers instrumental jazz-funk versions of major R&B and rock hits, including the Jackson Five’s “Dancing Machine” and the Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets.” Although Esmond Edwards tends to overproduce, participants like guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter Oscar Brashear still manage to get in some inspired solos. However, Brass Fever doesn’t fare as well on a forgettable arrangement of Toots & the Maytals’ ska/reggae classic “Pressure Drop,” and its cheesy remake of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” is pure elevator Muzak. But Time Is Running Out has more plusses than minuses, although Brass Fever’s first LP is definitely more consistent. Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
Despite the name, and a concept that makes it seem like the record might be some throwaway disco set – the album’s actually a good one, very much in the mode of the best uptempo soul on ABC at the time, but done without a vocalist. The album’s arranged and conducted by McKinley Jackson, who was doing great work with Lamont Dozier on ABC – and the group features hip horn players like Pee Wee Ellis, George Bohannon, and Oscar Brashear, plus some ssolos by Lee Ritenour on guitar. Titles include “Funky Control”, “Pressure Drop”, “Dancing Machine”, “Time Is Running Out”, and “Boogie On Reggae Woman”.
Album: Time Is Running Out
Release date: 1976
Tracklist:
1. Time Is Running Out
2. Takin’ It To The Streets
3. Boogie On Reggae Woman
4. Mr. Tambourine Man
5. Dancing Machine
6. Pressure Drop
7. Summertime
8. Funky Carnival
‘Time Is Running Out’ On YouTube
Vinyl Covers & Labels (Click On The Thumbnails)
This compilation is very welcome for several reasons. The compliers have taken care over what they offer, especially in terms of quality transfers. I have many of the original 45s that make up this set, having bought a good deal of the products from the likes of the Rollin' Rock', RM labels in the 70s, upon which this compilation is based. This set allow me the opportunity to have the other 45s that I missed at the time. The excellent liner notes by Dave Penny tell us about the companies concerned, who essentially went to the States and acquired back catalogue material, and issued it in Britain through a variety of outlets. Because these companies were small scale and independent, they acquired a great deal of really rare material, chosen very wisely, and the results of their wisdom is featured in this set. They are also in no small way responsible for the rockabilly revival of the 70s, providing the music that helped it to grow. There is a lot of rockabilly out there, but this set is unique, and a must for the discerning fan, and a wonderful introduction to Rockabilly by those who may be discovering the music for the first time. This compilation is too important to be missed.(The Guardian)
ROB SEZ: Didn't know anything about The Stems (or Dom Mariani or his many Aussie-based bands) until blog friends at Ash pointed me to their music. The Stems were a garage-pop band in the mid-1980s based in Perth, Australia. They didn't last long, but produced some wildly impressive music (think Flamin' Groovies meets Hoodoo Gurus, and you're in the ballpark). They reunited in 2007, but declared there would be no more Stems after a tour of Australia & Europe in 2009 & 2010. (Now, I hear they're still doing live shows — never say "never", Dom!) REPERCUSSION: After The Stems were no more, Dom Mariani collaborated many times with Mitch Easter, who produced recordings by The Someloves, The Orange Humble Band and DM3. from:
The Stems:
Two Chantays albums on one CD, comprising much of the surf band's early '60s repertory. The "Move It" that opens the disc is not the Cliff Richard song but a slower, raunchier number with vocal choruses carrying a lot of the melody. "Maybe Baby" is the Buddy Holly song, however, and the group does a decent job of singing it. Unfortunately, not a lot of what else is here is exactly first-rate material -- "It Never Works Out for Me" is a tuneless bore, and much of the rest is similarly uninteresting, and generally vocals were not this band's strong point, based on the evidence here. "Beyond" is a follow-up to "Pipeline" with a similar opening, and it is far and away the best track off of that album. The Pipeline album includes several attempts to emulate that hit, repeating its introduction and mimicking passages, but without much of the vitality or excitement of "Pipeline." The best parts of the album are the band's instrumental cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway," which is a tense, exciting workout for the entire band -- and that goes double for lead guitarist Bob Spickard and pianist Bob Marshall, and "Blunderbus," an almost bluesy number that, if not for the piano, could almost pass for a Yardbirds demo. "El Conquistador" gives Spickard a chance to play an electric version of Spanish guitar. The sound is excellent, perhaps too good in the sense of being almost too clean -- surf music was supposed to have its loud, aggressive edge, like early rock & roll, and Steve Hoffmann's domestic remasterings of the Chantays' releases for DCC have that hard edge. - Review by Bruce Eder
Personnel:
Unlike their live shows, however, the sound on this album is very tight and clean. Its combination of punk energy, chiming pop guitars and harmony singing, and Farfisa-like organ makes something of a bridge between the power-pop and punk of the late 70s and the paisley underground of the early 80s. Having formed in 1976, the band pre-dates the US arrival of the UK punk explosion, and their initial influences were grounded in the 60s, rather than the 70s. Clearly, though, punk energy flowed through the band throughout the years leading up to the recording dates for their debut. - cd universe
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