Brute Force - Brute Force 1970

from 1970 by Brute Force contains elements of funk, soul, avante-garde jazz, and even traces of African music and will appeal to those who enjoy early P-Funk, Sly and the Family Stone, the Ohio Players, and contemporaneous material by Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Unfortunately, very little is known about the band members, who included electric pianist, primary composer, and probable vocalist Richard Daniel, saxophonist-flautist Stanley Strickland, trumpeters Teddy Daniel, Jr. (Richard's brother?) and Arthur Ray Brooks, bassists (two bassists?) Russel I. Ingles and Thomas Lee Williams, drummer Sidney Smart, and conga player Robert A. Jones. The liner notes reveal that the group came into existence in 1968 while its personnel were students at Central State University (formerly College), a historically black institution of higher learning close to Dayton, Ohio. According to one source, the band members had been childhood friends of free jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock, which explains his unmistakable presence on the proceedings. Indeed, his contributions help make what would have been a very good album a great one as his trademark feedback-laden guitar eruptions often emerge when the listener least expects them. Although Sharrock is credited on only three tracks, my ears tell me that he plays on all but one of them. That misinformation on the album sleeve could have been a typo or - perhaps for contractual reasons - intentional. At any rate, most of Sharrock's other recordings are just a little too free for my tastes, so it's nice to hear him play within the confines of an instrumentally advanced funk band, a setting in which I can better appreciate his formidable talents.

Line-up / Musicians

Stanley Strickland/saxophone,flute
Arthur Ray Brooks/trumpet
Teddy Daniel, Jr./trumpet
Richard Daniel/piano
Thomas Lee Williams/bass
Russell I. Ingles/bass
Sidney Smart/drums
Robert A. Jones/drums

Discography(Album) 

Brute Force 1970

1.Do It Right Now
2.Some Kind of Approval
3.The Deacon
4.Right Direction
A5.Monster
6.Ye-Le-Wa
7.Doubt