Showing posts with label Tower of Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tower of Power. Show all posts

10/14/12

Scientific Thinker Howard Bloom Doing Interviews For New Book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES

Here is a media release on Howard Bloom's new book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES.

Howard was a major music publicist in the 1980s and early '90s. He handled Tower of Power, Focus, plus Michael Jackson, Prince, Horslips, Renaissance, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp...

Contact: Howard Bloom
howlbloom@aol.com

http://www.howardbloom.net
Prometheus Books' page for THE GOD PROBLEM: http://www.prometheusbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_6&products_id=2136
Video on The Big Bagel Theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJyafSBCb0

THE BIG BAGEL THEORY: THE END OF THE UNIVERSE IS SOONER THAN YOU THINK
(Scientific Thinker Howard Bloom Doing Interviews For New Book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES)

Watch out. The end is coming.

Howard Bloom is available for interviews for his new book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES on Prometheus books.

Most cosmologists feel the end of the cosmos will not arrive for hundreds of trillions of years. But Bloom's "Big Bagel Theory--The Bloom Toroidal Model of the Uiverse" predicts the end of the universe may be as little as 1.68 billion years away.

The Big Bagel Theory has already proved its predictive powers. Bloom, the author of THE GOOD PROBLEM, THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE, GLOBAL BRAIN, and THE GENIUS OF THE BEAST, pieced together his bagel theory in 1959. Bloom has been involved in theoretical physics and cosmology since he was ten years old. In 1959, at the age of sixteen, he was working for the summer at the world’s largest cancer research facility, The Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Bloom conceived his toroidal model of the universe in a two and a half month period of brainstorming with other Roswell Parkers on the implications of CPT (charge, parity, and time) symmetry. At the end of the summer, Bloom finished his Big Bagel Theory, then threw it away, convinced that it was comic book science.

But then other experts noted two of the Big Bagel Theories' predictions were--indeed--on target: 1) the cosmos had apparently expanded at unbelievable speed in the first flash after the big bang; 2) and the Cosmos’ expansion had slowed down, then accelerated again.

In 1980, Alan Guth confirmed prediction number one--the extraordinary speed of expansion in the newborn universe--with his theory of inflation, a theory that is now standard in cosmology. Then, in 1998, Adam Reiss and nineteen collaborators measured type 1a supernovas, standard candles, and discovered that the cosmos’ expansion had begun to pick up speed 6.02 billion years ago. Which left a question: where did the energy for that acceleration come from? Big Bagel Theory answers that question brilliantly.

So Bloom resurrected his 52-year-old Big Bagel Theory and made it the maraschino cherry on the cake, the ending concept, in his newest book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES. Penn State loop quantum gravity cosmologist Martin Bojowald calls THE GOD PROBLEM, "Rigorous, and thoroughly mathematical." Harvard's Dudley Herschbach, a 1986 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, says THE GOD PROBLEM is, "Truly awesome. Terrific." “I like the model," states NASA Goddard Space Flight Center systems engineer Mark Lupisella, "I’ll never look at bagels the same way again.” And National Magazine Award winner and science-junkie Barbara Ehrenreich says, "If Howard Bloom is only 10 percent right, we'll have to drastically revise our notions of the universe… Bloom’s argument will rock your world.”

The Big Bagel theory is explained in a new YouTube animation (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJyafSBCb0), a video that pulled in over half a million hits in its first thirteen days online. Says Bloom, "the public appears to be hungry for a simple explanation of dark energy."

Concludes Brian Smith McCallum in Library Journal, "Bloom, an iconoclastic and seminal thinker, has been mentioned in the same breath as Stephen Hawking, Sigmund Freud, and Charles Darwin; this contribution is paradigm-shifting.”

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9/10/12

Bruce Conte Needs Help (Tower of Power's recent and original guitarist)

A note from Tower of Power's Web master, Brian Rachlin

I am sending this email to all of the people in my address book that have any connection to me regarding music.

Former Tower Of Power Guitarist Bruce Conte has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He is in treatment and his condition seems to be stabilizing with some very expensive medication. To complicate things, Bruce has been an insulin-dependant diabetic for many years and has been unable to maintain suitable health insurance due to his condition. We all know about insurance companies and pre-existing conditions.

I have set up a Facebook Page to make people aware of Bruce's condition and financial need. Right now, there are two ways to donate funds:
1. PayPal. If you have a PayPal account, log on and send money to " bruceconte@towerofpower.com ".
2. Go to this Tower Of Power page, and click DONATE: http://www.towerofpower.com/news-and-updates/
3. Mail donations payable to Bruce Conte to: Bruce Conte c/o Brian Rachlin
4201 Neshaminy Blvd #223 Bensalem, PA 19020

Most importantly, please spread the word by visiting the Friends Of Bruce Conte Facebook Page and clicking "like" and send the link to your friends on Facebook as well as forwarding this email.

Any help in any amount will be appreciated!

Thank you,
Brian Rachlin
Web Admin For Tower Of Power

8/21/11


Tower of Power Horns, 2011, Adolfo Acosta, Sal Cracchiolo, Stephen Doc Kupka, Tom Politzer, Emilio Castillo

Tower of Power is delighted to announce Sal Cracchiolo as its newest member. Sal has played trumpet with the Grammy-winning Poncho Sanchez for most of his career, and regularly works with Melanie Jackson on jazz standards. Sal has played and recorded with an array of acts including Dizzy Gillespie, Dianne Reeves, Celia Cruz, Tom Jones, Brian Setzer, Harry Connick Jr., and Chick Corea. Says Emilio Castillo, “Sal is a world class lead trumpet player. Super exciting!!! He has an incredibly high range, plays with power and finesse, his soloing technique is unparalleled, and he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known. He’s a great addition to the T.O.P. family.”

http://www.towerofpower.com

3/3/11

TOWER OF POWER CELEBRATE ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ALBUM, DVD AND REUNION


New Collection Features TOP alumni like Lenny Pickett and Chester Thompson; Special Guests Include Soul Legend Sam Moore.

It’s spring! As we celebrate the start of the baseball season, the end of the basketball season and the release of Tower of Power’s 40th Anniversary album, the operative phrase in everyone’s ears is “We Came To Play.”
But then, Tower of Power has “come to play,” every single time they take to the stage over the last 42 years. The horn driven soul and funk machine has toured consistently playing to so(u)ld out crowds around the world. And after 40 years, four of the original musicians still play with the band.
Similar to sports teams, however, Tower of Power has had numerous players take free agency with other musical prospects. So the 40th Anniversary show gave the band an opportunity to stage their version of “Old Timer’s Day,” bringing 20 former members to work with the ongoing ten player line-up.
“When we were young and we’d lose somebody, it seemed like the end of the world,” TOP founder Emilio Castillo told Gary Graff. “But it started happening at such an early age in our career, and we always overcame it and always got great people to come in.”
Captured live at the Legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in 2008, this extraordinary show welcomed such former members as Greg Adams, TOP’s trumpeter and arranger for 20 years and subsequently one of the architects of the “smooth Jazz” sound; Chester Thompson, who moved on to play keys for Santana and Elton John; and chart topping “smooth jazz” sax player and first call session guy Richard Elliott.
At a show recorded on the band’s actual anniversary, former TOP member Lenny Pickett, long time sax player for the Saturday Night Live band, joined in. He’s in the bonus footage and is interviewed. Legendary vocalist Sam Moore, of Sam and Dave, added to the funkified festivities with “I Thank You,” and Otis Redding’s “Mr. Pitiful.” The DVD is dedicated to Steve “Skip” Mesquite, long time alto player for TOP, who made the show and passed on shortly afterward.
The CD and DVD package is a slam dunk of soulful funk, with such great Tower of Power hits as “What is Hip?” “You’re Still A Young Man,” the ever timely “Only So Much Oil In The Ground,” and “This Time It’s Real.” After 40 years, this band can clearly still hit it out of the ballpark.
“It was probably the most special night of our entire career,” said Castillo. “Getting together and playing again with those guys we’d spent so much time with on the road. It was magic.”
#030111#

12/6/10

Introducing JESSIE GALANTE


Album cover of Jessie Galante's SPITFIRE

Jessie is a dynamic and gifted singer who I've admired for years. I'm honored to be working with her-we're pals, gals and have a real gung-ho attitude about rock & roll. We're both from Buffalo-Jessie was “the first lady of rock,” and I was the first rock woman on middays in Buffalo radio.

Jessie's also played in Holland, Belgium, Hungary, Italy. She's rhythm & blues influenced rock akin to Janis Joplin, Ike and Tina Turner, Lenny Kravitz. Jessie's soulful "no apologies passion" signature sound folds together a fierce beauty, charged strength and graceful drama.

She's a determined singer, and her album, SPITFIRE reflects her energetic and unpredictable personality. It includes a cover of Gladys Knight's “Got to Use My Imagination.”

SPITFIRE features Hungarian and American musicians (bassist Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone), drummer Frank Ferrier (Psychedelic Furs, Guns 'n' Roses), guitarist Rob Bailey (Billy Joel, Mandy Moore) and popular players from Hungary; guitarist Janos Szucs and Peter Raso, bassist Tibor Ferenczi, and drummer Janos Takacs. Janos and Janos, Peter, Tibor are in her European band.

Live, Jessie's band features guitarists Angus Clark (Kitaro, TS0, Anna Phoebe) and Jeff McErlain, Jason Gianni (Eric Martin, in bands with members of Tower of Power and members of the Escovedo family), and bassist Pemberton Roach (hundreds of bands).

SPITFIRE was produced by double platinum producer Larry Swist (Lou Gramm, Spyro Gyra, Ike and Tina Turner) and eight-time Grammy award winner multi-platinum mixer Mick Guzauski (Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Anastacia, Kiss, Celine Dion, Earth Wind and Fire).

Netherlands DJ Hubert Van Hoof compared Jessie's performance to Chaka Kahn and Joyce Kennedy of Mother's Finest and a concert promoter in Holland enthusiastically proclaimed, “Jessie is a major victory for live entertainment in Europe!”

LET IT ROCK's Dmitry Epstein writes, “ Ms Galante's no slouch when it comes to go flaming… Blame the temper and the love to music on her Sicilian roots, but it's the combustible combination that's hard not to fall for.”

There's a great interview with Jessie in MAXIMUM INK
http://www.maximumink.com/index.php/articles/permalink/jessie_galante

Jessie Galante's powerful, life affirming video “No Fool No More.” What parts of the world are in this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWsF8ru5X_k

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessie-Galante/74683638509
http://www.jessiegalante.com

1/24/10

TOWER OF POWER

If you're on Facebook, Tower of Power's web outreach folks would love for you to join the Official TOP Facebook Fan page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Tower-of-Power-FAN-Page

New guitarist in Tower of Power is Jerry Cortez, and the band is playing songs off its Great American Soulbook album.   “Me and Mrs. Jones” and “The James Brown” medley, “Star Time” are favorites live.   Visit the band's web site for show info.

http://www.towerofpower.com

10/3/09

The book, STICKS'N'SKINS

Jethro Tull's Doane Perry, Tower of Power's David Garibaldi, Grand Funk Railroad's Don Brewer, and Stratospheerius' Lucianna Padmore are featured in the upcoming coffeetable book of drummers, STICKS'N'SKINS.

Visit the web site http://www.sticksnskins.com for links to myspace and facebook web sites.

4/23/09

TOWER OF POWER's GREAT AMERICAN SOULBOOK enters Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Charts at Number 3


Tower of Power's "Great American Soulbook" album, which features covers of classic soul songs has entered Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Charts at Number 3. It is the highest placing debut album of the week. The album has also entered the Soundscan Jazz charts for record sales at Number 6.

"The Great American Soulbook" features guest vocalists. Sir Tom Jones duets on Sam and Dave's "I Thank You." Joss Stone shares two songs and Tammi Terrel and Marvin Gaye's "(Heaven Must Have Sent) Your Precious Love" and Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "It Takes Two." Sam Moore joins the group on Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful," and Huey Lewis shares vocals on Wilson Pickett's "“634-5789” The album also features a 4-song "James Brown medley, and songs originally performed by Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Tavares, Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band, and Billy Paul.

3/21/09

Tower of Power's THE GREAT AMERICAN SOULBOOK

There are two links on the right side of this web page to videos for--if I could twist Casey Kasem's words--Tower of Power’s “short distance” dedication to an American soldier stationed in Iraq, who was able to get a leave to be with his wife at a show in Las Vegas.

This is the rest of the story.... A while ago, Tower of Power received an e-mail from Tim Lorenzen, who is in the army and stationed in Iraq. His request was for the band to possibly dedicate "You're Still A Young Man" to his wife Mona, who would be at the Orleans Casino show in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 7.

He wrote that TOP was their favorite band, and on their last day together they took a ride in his convertible, top down, listing to TOP music, despite the fact that it was raining.

Tim was able to get a leave, and come to the show, and surprise his wife with roses after TOP frontman Larry Braggs called her onto the stage.

Here is a link to the story on the band's message board!


Tim Lorenzen (on the right) and his buddies in Iraq.

Tower of Power is coming out with a new CD April 7. It’s called The Great American Soulbook. I love the album, how it sounds and Tower of Power's signature take of the arrangements. Right now I'm grooving on Larry's interpretations--my favorite covers are “Me and Mrs. Jones” and “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel.” He sings lead on those; the LP has guest singers who share vocals with him on a few songs: Sir Tom Jones, Joss Stone, Huey Lewis and Sam Moore.

11/3/08

new videos linked to the links on this site.

The last link on that site is called “VIDEOS I LIKE I LIKE,” which has two new clips:
1)Stratospheerius: part one of a five-part internet documentary of the group’s September tour at the Detroit International Jazz Fest and in California.

2)Tower of Power and Stephanie Heinzmann (the winner of German Idol) singing “Only So Much Oil in The Ground” performed in Zurich. That is a song the group wrote 40 years ago, and it’s making news radio airplay.