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“Brothers” is the latest album from veteran jazz and RnB drummer Towner Galaher and has him diving deep into the funk while citing some of his favorite 70s jazz-funk bands such as Tower of Power and Herbie’s Headhunters. The album is called Brothers because Towner has invited some of his oldest band mates, some going back 20 or more years, to join him on this journey back into their late 70s roots. B3 player Jimmy Sanders and bassist Randy Monroe were in Galaher’s first group, and saxophonist Craig Handy and guitarist Marvin Horne have been showing up on some of Towner’s later endeavors. All are capable soloists, but Craig Handy tends to get the lion’s share of solo space with his soulful tenor that may remind some of Michael Brecker or Bennie Maupin.
Many will recognize the song title, “Hit It and Quit It”, as a well known James Brown phrase, and this track has a definite JBs vibe to it, but Galaher actually got the beat for this one from Headhunter’s drummer Mike Clarke. “Piece of the Action” also carries that pure funk sound. Elsewhere on the album we get some variety with the Brazilian groove of “Rio-Lization” and the laid back ballad, “The Diamond Chalice”. “Cahva Bite” mixes things up with an alternation section in a 6/8 Afro-Cuban beat. Album closer, “Seventh Heaven”, is an organ based gospel flavored jam in 7/4 time. When handled correctly, 7/4 time has a built in momentum in that the last note of one phrase is also the first note of the next phrase. The overwhelming B3ness of this track recalls some of Billy Preston’s high energy instrumentals.