FRANSIC ROCCO PRESTIA - EVERYBODY ON THE BUS - 1999

You're probably thinking to yourself that this, in the tradition of bass player albums, is an exercise in musical self-gratification (to use a more polite phrase). Not so.

The man himself, credited for holding down the bottom end for acclaimed Soul/Funk band Tower of Power delivers what he has been doing best for the past 25 years. His signature style of 16th note muted fingerstyle funk is the driving force for all the songs on the album without once taking a solo.

With fellow TOP regulars Jeff Tamelier on guitar, David Garibaldi and Herman Mathews on drums, Nick Milo on Keyboards and Brandon Fields on Sax, don't expect this outing to deviate too much from the regular TOP formula of dishing up middle-of-the-road-funk, except with less prominent horns. Not to say that this isn't a musically proficient production, but rather the funk element comes off almost too clean and digitized rather than earthy inspired.

Still, the album is a good listen, especially for those familiar with the Bay Area Soul sound of the 70s. Recommended tracks are: Solid like the Rock, the remake of Express Yourself, and Don't need No Changes. In all, a good backdrop for showcasing the bass legend, credited for being an influence by no less than Jaco Pastorius.
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