On this 1972 Reprise product, Cold Blood are joined by the Escovedo Brothers on Latin percussion. Produced by Donny Hathway, this product is best known for the funky "Down to the Bone."

Cold Blood includes: Coke Escovedo, Pete Escovedo, Paul Beaver, Donny Hathaway.

Personnel: Max Haskett (vocals, trumpet); Sandy McKee (vocals, drums); Lydia Pense (vocals); Michael Sasaki (guitar); Mel Martin (flute, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Bill Baker (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Danny Hull, Pete Christlieb (tenor saxophone); Bill Atwood (trumpet); Pat O'Hara, Gordon Messick (trombone); Ernest Diridoni (tuba); Raul Matute (piano, organ, keyboards); Donny Hathaway (piano, organ); Paul Beaver (Moog synthesizer); Pete Escovedo (congas); Coke Escovedo (timbales, percussion).

Liner Note Author: Al Fichera.

Recording information: San Francisco, CA; Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographer: Jim Marshall .

Arrangers: Cold Blood; Donny Hathaway.

Founding guitarist Larry Field left before this album was recorded, resulting in an emphasis on keyboardist Raul Matute and sax player Danny Hull. The result is, surprisingly, somewhat tighter playing by the band, with the horn section reined in to provide percussive punches on guitar- and keyboard-driven songs. The Escovedos drop in to provide Latin percussion on such funk monsters as "Down to the Bone," and the band sounds both confident and aggressive in the tightly wound rave-up of "All My Honey." The album takes an unusual turn toward soulfully bittersweet blues on "You Had to Know"; while the song takes entirely too long to resolve, it's still an admirable showcase for Lydia Pense's bruised vocals. Trumpeter Max Haskett also steps in to provide vocals on a couple tracks, but they're an unavoidable letdown after the explosive power of Pense's singing. ~ Paul Collins

Genre:

• R&B / Soul

Labels:

• Collectables Records

Music Categories:

• R&B: Funk

Product Groupings:

• Clearance CDs
• Collectables Records - Audio CDs