Kashmere Stage Band Zero Point

When these guys say "stage band", they aren't kidding -- as the group's got so many members, there's barely room left on the stage for the instruments! That doesn't stop the record from being plenty darn funky, though -- as the sound is right, tight, and outta site -- every bit as great as the group's famous funky 45s, and with a similarly hard Texas take on deep funk! The album's got some wonderful covers of famous soul hits, plus a few hip originals -- and there's some great moments that show the group hitting a more ambitious jazzy feel, one that recalls some of the hipness of the Chicago sound of The Pharoahs! Titles include "Al's Tune", "Scorpio", "Masquerade", "Walk On By", "All Praises", "Thank You", "Do Your Thing", and "To All The Beautiful Black Women".

Kashmere stage band - Out Of Gas But Still Burning

A stunning batch of funky big band tracks, sounding a lot fuller than on their first LP, thanks to an expanded lineup that gives them a whole new sound! The group are grooving here in a mode that's a lot like classic 70s blacksploitation soundtrack work, with a full ensemble that features funky drums, electric bass, and keys in the rhythms, plus lots of tight funky horns over the top.

Kashmere stage band - plays originals

An all-original set from the Kashmere Stage Band -- one of the funkiest combos going in early 70s Texas! The album features a range of tunes written by bandleader Conrad Johnson -- all hard-hitting numbers that take off from the group's roots as a funkier high school band, and which show their evolution into an even more jazz-inflected outfit! The sound here is very much in the mode of blacksploitation soundtrack work -- as the compositions are filled with light and color, and have a richness that goes far beyond funky 45 work -- but a groove that's stone cold all the way through. Titles include "Thunder Soul", "Do You Dig It Man", "Kashmere", "Head Wiggle", and "All Praises".