Tapping into the power of the Tower
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| Tower of Power comes to town for a Saturday concert. From left, front: Norbert Stachel, Rocco Prestia and Roger Smith; middle: Stephen "Doc" Kupka, David Garibaldi, Larry Braggs and Emilio Castillo; back row: Jeff Tamelier, Mike Bogart and Adolfo Acosta.
Tower of Power 8 p.m. Saturday Hawaii Ballroom, Sheraton Waikiki Hotel $35, $45 526-4400, 591-2211 |
Today, at 42, he's a key player. He's marking his seventh season playing guitar and writing songs for the socko group. Tower brings its soulful Power to Honolulu for a lone weekend concert.
"It was the hypnotic music. Timeless music, to me," Tamelier said of his early addiction to the ToP sound. "It grooves. It's funky big-band, with its own type of groove. If you like the soul of James Brown, you'll like Tower."
Joining the group, said Tamelier, is somewhat of "a dream come true. I think being a fan first, I bring a real sense of commitment to the band.
"I pretty much knew all of their records; to me, Tower of Power was like the Beatles. I learned the music all fast, and was living in the center of it (Oakland)."
Musicians have come and gone through the ToP ranks, so the sound has been tweaked over the past 25 years. However, that soaring horn section and sizzling rhythm section have been retained.
One reason: Classic soul is on a comeback trail. Perhaps it never was out of vogue, because it's omnipresent on radio and infiltrates TV shows.
ToP has logged its share of hits since the 1970s and has defined "hipness" via its "What Is Hip?" hit.
There are 10 members in the band, including four original players: Emilio Castillo, Stephen "Doc" Kupka, Rocco Prestia and David Garibaldi.
Their songs have crossed generations over the years, Tamelier said, with "You're Still a Young Man" and "So Very Hard to Go" remaining popular among oldies stations.
"We're all pretty much spread out, living in different parts of the country," said Tamelier. He is one of four who live in the Oakland area, original home base for the group.
"Couple of times a year, we'll meet at a recording session, or meet to rehearse, but we all have families and keep a nice easy balance between the work and the home."
Tamelier, like others in ToP, does a number of outside gigs, producing sessions, playing music, and even teaching.
"I'm very much into producing younger people these days, and I have a studio in my house, where I also give instruction," he said. "This way, I keep a pulse on what's happening musically."
The group is anticipating a new album in April titled "Oakland Zone," with Tamelier co-writing the title song. "We all contribute music," Tamelier said of the creativity in the ranks.
Tamelier is married and has two boys and a girl. "The 6-year-old boy loves music and is pretty funky," he laughed. "A next-generation musician, maybe?"
