Nice album. Contains some cool pop stuff, and some great track selections (the odd couple, mission impossible, a couple of Bacharach numbers). Al is joined by 'the power of brass', a college band he met at an airport somewhere. It's produced by Leroy Holmes.
• Here is a more thorough review by exotica list member Nate Miner:
I had to re-arrange my angle for review after thoroughly reading over
the liner notes to the Al Caiola album, The Power of Brass. I
erroneously assumed from the cover photo that Al's heyday had come and
gone and that he now spent his time playing nightly gigs (twice a night
on weekends) at the Crossway Airport Inn with a bunch of college band
mates from the local university.
My vivid imagination was fueled by a high-angle overhead shot of
tuxedoed Al standing in the forefront of a group of ten college aged
guys in matching outfits that consisted of white pants and gold
square-collared suit coats. They all posed with their instruments (sax,
trombone, trumpet and hollow-body guitar to name a few) while a large
neon sign with retro sixties starburst detailing announces the Crossway
Airport Inn above their heads.
However, this is Al Caiola, it's 1968, he's been involved in over
twenty-five albums and on this release Al is acting as guide and mentor
to the ten University of Miami music students who perform in Miami,
Florida as The Power of Brass. Word got out just how good these guys
were and Al paid them a visit, was very impressed by their sound, and
signed them to this record deal. According to the liner notes, this
group provides the listener with a sound that is "shapely, sheen, sure"
with a "supercharged" and "driving, full-fat feel."
The twelve songs on this LP are all covers of familiar tunes like Do
You Know the Way to San Jose and MacArthur Park with two originals
thrown in. I wouldn't exactly call this album "supercharged," although
the arrangements do clip along at a lively pace, punctuated by brass
highlights and Al's hollow "full-fat" guitar sound, scritching electric
guitar and organ noodling. Most of the pieces are very mellow however,
and don't go the extra mile to be truly remarkable. The renditions
remain very true to their source and most of the instruments remain "in
bounds" with hardly any solo or improvisation - an exception being some
fuzzed-out guitar work on The Horse. That's not to say this isn't a
very listenable album because it is, but its in no way a title that you
should go out of your way to acquire.
- Nate
