Tower of Power @ la Cigale, Paris - May 21st, 2019

Classic soul outfit Tower of Power is out touring behind their new album Soul Side of Town and celebrating their five decades at the same time. Founding member Emilio Castillo is still steering the ship alongside a cast comprised of musicians that also include long-time contributors Stephen Kupka and Sal Cracchiolo as well as new lead vocalist Marcus Scott. Original bass player Rocco Prestia has unfortunately been sidelined and is competently replaced by Marc Van Wageningen. His presence is still missed, but the band moves forward, as it should, because personalities don't matter. What matters is the groove, relentless and tight.

The band is of course a showcase for its legendary horn section, a five-piece frontline that have accompanied everyone from Otis Redding to the Grateful Dead. Locked in with the agile rhythm section and in conjunction with their young charismatic frontman, they work the audience into an Soul trance inherited from James Brown and the Rn'B revues of the sixties, always keeping things classy, never falling into the dirty, gritty funk that became prevalent in the seventies.

Classics and new songs are equally feted by the diverse audience that came for one thing only: to party like it's 1969. And for 90 minutes, in the gorgeous but sweaty theater located in the red light District of Paris, it was.