SOLD OUT - Average White Band, Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars

Alan Gorrie (bandleader, bass/gtr/keys), Onnie McIntyre (guitar & vocals) Rocky Bryant (drums & percussion), Klyde Jones (Ld. Vocal, keys, bass, gtr.), Fred Vigdor (Saxes, keys, vocals)

AWB are widely regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands in the history of music. Though perhaps best known for their timeless instrumental mega-hit 'Pick Up the Pieces' the band's strength actually lay in their consistently accomplished song-writing, stretching across several gold selling albums and multi- grammy nominations for the legendary Atlantic Records. Somewhat incongruously, given their Scottish roots, the six piece took the influences of their R&B heroes - people like Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Donny Hathaway and others - and developed their own 'authentic' sound which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.

Whilst a good number of cuts - 'Cut The Cake' and 'Let's Go 'Round Again' to name but two - attracted chart action as hit singles, many other album tracks, like 'Schoolboy Crush' and 'Person to Person' became much sampled and turn-tabled 'rare' grooves. Many more tunes, such as 'Cloudy', 'A Love Of Your Own' and 'Nothing You Can Do' - amongst many others- stand alongside some of the finest soul 'album tracks' ever recorded.

The current line-up of the band - this time with noted US recruits augmenting founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre - continues to record and tour around the world to ongoing critical and audience acclaim. All this and more is perfectly illustrated in the band's latest release Soul And The City which showcases the breadth and depth of the band's material, all captured within the excitement of a 2006 live performance


CHARTS & AWARDS

Albums:

AWB (Gold Album)
# 1 Pop   Album (Billboard)
# 1 R&B  Album (Billboard)

Cut The Cake (Gold Album)
# 1 R&B Album (Billboard)
# 4 Pop  Album (Billboard)

Soul Searching (Platinum Album)
# 2 R&B Album (Billboard)
# 9 Pop  Album (Billboard)

Benny and US (with Ben E. King)
# 9   R&B Album  (Billboard)
# 28 Pop  Album  (Billboard)

Warmer Communications (Gold album)
# 12 R&B Album (Billboard)

Feel No Fret (Silver Album - UK)

 

Singles

'Pick Up The Pieces'
# 1 Pop  Single (Billboard)
# 5 R&B Single (Billboard)
# 6 U.K. chart
Grammy Nomination - 'Best R&B Instrumental Performance'

'Work to Do'
#10 R&B Single (Billboard)

'Cut The Cake'
# 7 R&B single (Billboard)
Grammy Nomination – 'Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance'

'Schoolboy Crush'
# 22 R&B single (Billboard)

'Soul Searching'
# 4 Dance Single (Billboard)

'Get it Up For Love'
# 21 R&B Single (Billboard)

'A Star in The Ghetto'
# 25 R&B Single (Billboard)

'Sweet & Sour'
Grammy Nomination -  'Best R&B Instrumental Performance'.

'Walk On By'
# 32 R&B single (Billboard), # 18 UK chart

'Atlantic Avenue'
# 24 UK chart

'Let's Go Round Again'
#12 UK chart, #1 Japanese chart.