Average White Band

The Average White Band is widely regarded as one of the best soul and funk bands in the history of music. Though 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 Award 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, and Donny Hathaway – and developed their own authentic sound which was eagerly adopted by audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere.

While a good number of their cuts such as “Cut The Cake” and “Let’s Go Round Again” became hit singles, many other album tracks, like “Schoolboy Crush” and “Stop The Rain” became much sampled grooves. Many more tunes, such as “Cloudy,” and “A Love Of Your Own,” among many others, stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.

The current line-up of Average White Band, with noted U.S. recruits augmenting founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continue 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, AWB R&B, a live CD recorded in Austin, Texas in September of 2015.