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Francis Rocco Prestia
Francis Rocco Prestia Jr. (March 7, 1951 – September 29, 2020) was an American bassist, best known for his work with the funk band Tower of Power. Biography Born in Sonora, California, Prestia started playing electric guitar as an adolescent. When he auditioned for Emilio Castillo's band, Tower of Power, Castillo persuaded him to switch to electric bass. Prestia worked with the band for the next three decades, before he became seriously ill in 2001. His fans and friends created a foundation in order to help pay the artist's medical costs. On December 5, 2014, Prestia underwent successful liver transplant surgery. Rocco is survived by the loves of his life, Julian Francis Rocco Prestia and Alicia-Lyn JoAnn Prestia. Technique and influences Prestia was a master of ''fingerstyle funk'', a technique in which he lightly muted the strings with his left hand to get a percussive sound, with the pitch remaining clear and accurate. That characteristic sound, in combination with a high ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sonora, California
Sonora is the county seat of Tuolumne County, California. Founded during the California Gold Rush by Mexican miners from Sonora (after which the city is named), the city population was 5,226 during the 2020 Census, an increase of 221 from the 4,903 counted during the 2010 Census. Sonora is the only incorporated community in Tuolumne County. History Sonora was founded by Mexican miners during the California Gold Rush. Named after their home state of Sonora, Mexico, it was once a booming center of industry and trade in California's Mother Lode. Most of the gold that was removable with traditional mining techniques was quickly extracted, leaving miners to use more complex and expensive mining techniques to reach deep pockets of quartz and gold. Sonora as well as other mining towns of the era experienced economic hardship when the value of gold decreased. As "gold fever" died down, Sonora's size and population steadily decreased over the years. In c. 1851, the Sonora Hebrew ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bass guitar, bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He also collaborated with other artists, most notably Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell. His bass playing employed funk, lyrical solos, bass Chord (music), chords, and innovative harmonics. As of 2017 he was the only electric bassist of seven bassists inducted into the ''DownBeat'' Jazz Hall of Fame, and he has been lauded as among the best electric bassists of all time. Pastorius suffered from Addiction, drug addiction and mental health issues and, despite his widespread acclaim, over the latter part of his life he had problems holding down jobs due to his unreliability. In frequent financial difficulties, he was often homeless in the mid-1980s. He died in 1987 as a result of injuries sustained in a beating outside a South Flor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Back To Oakland
''Back to Oakland'' is the fourth album by Bay Area based band Tower of Power, released in early 1974 on Warner Bros. Records. It was voted by ''Modern Drummer'' magazine as one of the most important recordings for drummers to listen to. The cover photography was by Bruce Steinberg at San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco, California. Track listing #"Oakland Stroke..." (Emilio Castillo, David Garibaldi, Stephen Kupka) - 0:53 #"Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)" (Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Lenny Williams) - 4:28 #"Just When We Start Makin' It" (Castillo, Kupka, Lenny Williams) - 6:30 #"Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong)" (Castillo, Kupka, Williams) - 3:00 #"Squib Cakes" (Chester Thompson) - 7:49 #"Time Will Tell" (Castillo, Kupka) - 3:11 #"Man from the Past" (Castillo, Kupka, Williams) - 4:00 #"Love's Been Gone So Long" (Bruce Conte) - 4:47 #"I Got the Chop" (Castillo, Kupka) - 2:59 #"Below Us, All the City Lights" (Castillo, Kupka) - 4:20 #"...Oakland St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tower Of Power (album)
''Tower of Power'' is the third album release for the Oakland-based band, Tower of Power. This is their most successful album to date, which was released in May 1973. The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart in 1973 and received a gold record award for sales in excess of 500,000. The album spawned their most successful single, "So Very Hard to Go". The single peaked at No. 17 during the week of July 28, 1973 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Two other singles from the album also charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100: "This Time It's Real" and "What Is Hip?". It marked the debut of Lenny Williams being the lead vocalist (though Williams had a solo career prior to joining T.O.P., plus he co-penned the song "You Strike My Main Nerve" from the previous album ''Bump City''). ''Tower of Power'' was also the first Tower of Power album to feature future ''Saturday Night Live'' band leader Lenny Pickett, who was the youngest member of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bump City
''Bump City'' is the second album by the soul/funk group Tower of Power. The album cover is derived from a sketch by David Garibaldi. It's also their first album for Warner Bros. Records. With Rufus Miller now gone, Rick Stevens took the reins as the sole lead vocalist for this album. Track listing All songs written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka unless otherwise noted. # "You Got to Funkifize" - 4:31 # "What Happened to the World That Day?" - 4:11 # "Flash in the Pan" - 3:34 # "Gone (in Memory of Jacqueline Mesquite)" (Greg Adams, Skip Mesquite) - 3:41 # "You Strike My Main Nerve" (Kupka, Castillo, L. Williams, L. Gordon) - 2:52 # "Down to the Nightclub" (Kupka, Castillo, David Garibaldi) - 2:43 # "You're Still a Young Man" - 5:35 # "Skating on Thin Ice" - 3:48 # "Of the Earth" - 4:30 Personnel * Rick Stevens - lead vocals * Skip Mesquite - first tenor saxophone, flute, vocals (lead on "Gone") * Emilio Castillo - second tenor saxophone, vocals * Greg Adams - ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East Bay Grease
''East Bay Grease'' is the debut album by the soul and funk group Tower of Power, released in 1970. The band was one of the early music groups to be signed by Bill Graham's Fillmore Records, which released the LP. The album shows the band at an early stage of development, trying out several lead singers including Rick Stevens who soon left the band because of heavy drug abuse. In a retrospective review, music historian Rickey Vincent said the album contained "sloppy and raggedy horn-heavy R&B." Drummer David Garibaldi later said that his playing style was undisciplined during this time, that the album showed his "rough edges". He began private drum lessons with a Bay Area drum teacher named Chuck Brown, and polished his technique in time for the improvements to be heard on 1973's ''Tower of Power'' album. The album was released on CD in 1992 by Rhino Records. Track listing All selections written by Emilio Castillo and Stephen Kupka, except "Sparkling in the Sand" by Emili ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ESP Guitars
is a Japanese guitar manufacturer, primarily focused on the production of electric guitars and Bass guitar, basses. They are based in both Tokyo and Los Angeles, with distinct product lines for each market. ESP Company manufactures instruments under several names, including "ESP Standard", "ESP Custom Shop", "LTD Guitars and Basses", "Navigator", "Edwards Guitars and Basses", and "Grassroots". History In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products (ESP) in Tokyo, Japan, which provided custom replacement parts for guitars. At this time, ESP also began making guitars under the ESP and Navigator brand in the Japanese market. ESP replacement parts were first introduced into the US in 1983 and began crafting custom instruments for local New York artists between 1984 and 1985. Among these artists were Page Hamilton (Helmet (band), Helmet), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick (Kiss (band), KISS), Sid McGinnis of ''Late Night w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vintage Guitar (magazine)
''Vintage Guitar'' is an American magazine that focuses on vintage and classic guitars, amplifiers, effects, and related equipment, as well as notable guitarists from all genres and eras. The publication's feature stories and monthly columns cover a diverse range of topics by contributors, including some of the biggest names in the industry and renowned authorities like Dan Erlewine, George Gruhn, Wolf Marshall, Richard Smith, and Seymour W. Duncan, as well as some of the best-known writers in the field, including Pete Prown, Walter Carter, Dan Forte, Dave Hunter, Rich Kienzle, Michael Dregni, John Peden, Greg Prato, and others. The magazine's classified-ad section provides readers with access to classic, used and new guitars, amps, accessories, books, videos, and more. Other editorial content focuses on reviews of music as well as informed, objective reviews of new gear. ''Vintage Guitar'' also includes monthly repair columns written by noted repair expert/luthier Dan Erlewine. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conklin Guitars
Conklin may refer to: Places ;In the United States * Conklin, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Conklin, New York, a town * Conklin, Michigan, an unincorporated community ;Elsewhere * Conklin, Alberta, a hamlet in Alberta, Canada People * Conklin (surname) Other * Conklin Shows Conklin Shows was the largest traveling amusement corporation in North America. The 75-year-old company operated traveling carnivals at various summer agricultural shows across North America and is based in Brantford, Ontario and formerly also in ..., a North American amusement company See also * Conkling (other) {{disambig, geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fender American Deluxe Series
The Fender American Deluxe Series was a line of electric guitars and basses introduced by Fender in 1995 and discontinued in 2016. It was upgraded in 2004 and 2010 before being replaced by the American Elite series in 2016. The American Deluxe line replaced the Plus Series models of 1987. Features The entire range came with options such as solid tonewood bodies made from alder or ash, chrome or gold-plated hardware, aged plastic parts, Noiseless pickups, abalone shell dot position fingerboard inlays, a dark aluminum "spaghetti" decal, 22-fret maple necks featuring rosewood, maple or ebony fretboards, quilted or flamed maple tops, rolled fingerboard edges, Fender S-1 switching, highly detailed nut and fret work, a bound top with contoured back on Telecasters, a two-point synchronized tremolo with pop-in arm, LSR roller nut on the HSS model Stratocaster, and staggered locking tuning machines on certain models. American Deluxe bass guitars (introduced in 1995) came in 4-str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrument usually equipped with a single split-coil humbucking pickup and a one-piece, 20-fret maple neck with rosewood or maple fingerboard. Its prototype, designed by Leo Fender in 1950, was brought to market in 1951. It was the first electric bass guitar to earn widespread attention and use, remaining among the best-selling and most-imitated electric bass guitars with considerable effect on the sound of popular music. Background The double bass is among the largest and most physically cumbersome instruments which are regularly still transported by the player themselves on their own. It is also hard to hear in large bands or those that use amplified instruments, and it requires specialized skills to play that are distinct from those require ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bass Player (magazine)
''Bass Player'' is a magazine for bassists. Each issue offers a variety of artist interviews, lessons, and equipment reviews. The magazine was founded in 1988 as a spinoff of ''Guitar Player'' magazine, with Jim Roberts as its first editor. The original headquarters was in San Francisco, CA. It began as a regular edition magazine in 1990. Currently published by Future US, ''Bass Player'' held an annual event for bassists, Bass Player LIVE!. From 2004 until 2007 Bass Player LIVE! was held in New York City; from 2008 until 2017 it was held in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. Editors *Jim Roberts, March 1990 to December 1996 *Karl Coryat, January 1997 to January 1998 *Richard Johnston, February 1998 to July 2001 *Bill Leigh, August 2001 to March 2009 *Jonathan Herrera, April 2009 to December 2010 *Brian Fox, January 2011 to June 2014 *Chris Jisi, July 2014 to October 2018 *Joel McIver, November 2018 to date Lifetime Achievement Awards In most years since 1998, Bass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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