| EARTH, WIND and FIRE |
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Connellsville Area High School
MIGHTY FALCON MARCHING BAND
Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically
accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially
popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer,
bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional
vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical
vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated
jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia,
blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead
singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with
his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to
funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize
like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove
like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus,
their stage shows were often just as elaborate and
dynamic as George Clinton's P-Funk empire.
More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF's
eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a
cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the
likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of
Sly & the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the
accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose
intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of
hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands
in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried
worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly
took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one
dizzying, spectacular package.
accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially
popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer,
bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional
vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical
vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated
jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia,
blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead
singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with
his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to
funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize
like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove
like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus,
their stage shows were often just as elaborate and
dynamic as George Clinton's P-Funk empire.
More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF's
eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a
cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the
likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of
Sly & the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the
accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose
intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of
hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands
in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried
worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly
took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one
dizzying, spectacular package.
taken from Legacy Recordings web site
