Back catalogue: Funk

Review: The legendary Kashmere High School Brass Band from Houston, Texas always deliver an incredible jazz-funk storm and in this rare groove masterpiece, they have rarely sounded better. Known as the world's best student band, their astonishing groove defies what you would think a bunch of high school musicians would be capable of. Originally released in 1974, this sixth album features original compositions by their teacher, Conrad Johnson, and includes all four titles from their catalogue, complete with a fine jacket design and exceptional sound quality. The tunes come thick and fast and include 'Kashmere' with its killer breakbeats, 'Head Wiggle' a fast-paced bass-driven funk, 'Do You Dig It Man?' big band funk at its best and 'Thunder Soul' which is percussive jazz funk brilliance.

Review: Yet another school band record, turned rare funk and/or "Northern soul" gem, sends the heads haywire. Kashmere Stage Band were the highly obscure and yet low-key rated "elite performing unit" of Kashmere High School, a notable public high school in Houston, Texas. With a rotating lineup that kept the band alive in the pivotal, almost two-decade period of 1960 through to 1978, this colliery crack team was led by the celebrated Conrad O. Johnson, a towering figure in the annals of Southern American music education. A former Count Basie and Erskine Hawkins collaborator, Johnson saw to it that no band member would loosen their grip on the groove; neither adolescence nor pubescence are excuses for relinquishing the rightful vibe of soul and funk, that of serious bombast. The record staggeringly crosses into jazz at points, as with 'Lockwood Drive' (clock the notably sampleable, watertight drum break at the midpoint). And legend has it that the Kashmere band went on to tour the world; the bar really was this yea in the 70s. What did the state of Texas get right back then?

Review: KSB stands for Kashmere Stage Band group that was initially founded by Conrad O. Johnson. He was at the heart of the group which is surely one of the most accomplished student outfits of all time. They hailed from the eponymous Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas, and were active in the 1960s on until the late 1970s. They related a number of albums which only get got pressed up a maximum of 1000 times so have become cult favs and hard to find treasures. P-VINE however changes all that with a series of limited reissues of their most renowned albums, including this one, Out Of Gas But Still Burning, as well as some others which have never actually been on wax before.

Review: Kashmere Stage Band was formed in the 1960s and was made up of students from Kashmere High School and group leader Conrad O. Johnson. Bumper-To-Bumper Soul is their second album, and it was recorded between 1969 and 1970. The record, which like all their others was only pressed in small quantities and sold locally in Houston, Texas, so is hard to find but much in demand, is an extension of the high school group's debut album, but with a high percentage of groovy jazz funk, covering well-known songs in their now fast funk style.

Review: Kashmere Stage Band - formed back in Houston, Texas, by a music teacher by the name of Conrad O Johnson - is one of those outfits that have got plenty of cult status. He hooked up with some of Kashmere High School's most elite musicians to form this superb funk collective. They were busy locally with gigs but also went on to tour internationally and record several albums. They were only ever distributed locally though and pressed up in small quantities so are almost impossible to find. P-VINE is correcting that with a special series of mixed edition reissues and Thunder Soul is one of those. It's an album that captures the group's signature sound with funky drums and fresh licks aplenty.

Review: High school band Kashmere Stage Band was formed in Texas by students from Kashmere High School's elite music division under the guidance of leader Conrad O. Johnson. They recorded plenty of albums but they only got sold locally and made in small numbers so now P-VIBE is embarking on a much-needed reissue run. Zero Point came in 1972, right in the middle of the band's activities which ran from the early 60s to the late 70s. It's a funky jazz fusion workout with great echoed vocals and fuzz-tone guitar.