For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. In their special return to Nashville, the band performs alongside the GRAMMY®-winning Nashville Symphony, conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez.
This is your chance to enjoy symphonic versions of mega-hits like “What Is Hip?,” “Clever Girl,” “This Time It’s Real,” “Will I Ever Find A Love?,” “Get Yo’ Feet Back On The Ground.” “So Very Hard To Go,” “Both Sorry Over Nothin’,” and “Soul Vaccination” in the exquisite acoustic environment of Turner Hall.
This very special performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Tuesday, October 22. VIP packages are available for superfans in the first three (3) rows of Front Orchestra.
SPOTLIGHT: Roger Smith – Keyboards, Vocals
Roger Smith was born to play the Hammond organ, and destined to become a member of Tower of Power. Since 1998, Roger has been a part of the Tower Sound, drawing on all of his earlier experiences and influences to lead him to where he is today.
From the time he was a child Roger played piano and took music lessons. Although his early musical education began in church, things changed after Roger and his family moved from Texas to Sacramento, CA.
Jimmy McGriff, the legendary jazz organist, had a brother who lived a few doors down from the Smiths. During a visit, Roger was introduced to a sound that fascinated him, the Hammond B-3 organ. Jimmy McGriff taught him a couple of signature blues songs and the Hammond organ became an important part of Roger’s life.
After some time in military service, Roger worked with artists such as Leon Russell, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Louden Wainwright III.
Roger heard about Tower of Power and went to see them perform many times. He recalls “When I saw Tower of Power with Chester Thompson, well no one sounded like him. His style is very unique.”
As a professional musician, Roger was a member of “Sunbear” the house band for “Soul Train” and was also out on the road with artists like Gladys Knight, Harvey Mandel, Jeff Beck, and Jan Hammer as a “utility player”.
Norbert Stachel, Tower of Power’s lead tenor sax player, when Tower was making some personnel changes, suggested that the band listen to Smith, and as a result, he has been TOP’s keyboard player ever since.
On stage with Tower of Power, he goes through many different emotions. Smith says when they are in the groove, “It’s the best feeling there is.”
Touring extensively with TOP, Roger gets to all parts of the US, Europe, and Asia each year. Still, he plays gigs with other Northern CA musicians, and his solo career includes many solo CDs.
Roger’s latest project is “Just Another Day”, featuring appearances by Dave Garibaldi, Jeff Tamelier, Tony Lindsey, Tom Politzer, Bill Ortiz, Marcus Scott and Mic Gillette.
