Average White Band members: Onnie MacIntyre; Klyde Jones; 
Alan plays soulful guitar as well as holding down the Bass line
Versatile, talented Klyde Jones--there's no instrument he can't play
Klyde and Alan with the boys at Jazz Alley
Play that funky music, White Boy!
AWB has been around so long. The only original members are Scotland-born Alan Gorrie, vocals and (rockin’) Bass, and Onnie MacIntyre, lead guitar and vocals.
Last week, during their annual run at one of my all-time favorite venues, Jazz Alley in downtown Seattle, AWB tore it up with classics like Cut the Cake and Work to Do. A shout-out to Klyde Jones on, get this: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, and Vocals. Is there anything the guy can’t play excellently?? And of course, my fave, Alan Gorrie, with James Bond-like savoire faire, who makes playing his 5-string bass look and feel smooth and easy. He soooo reminds me of dinosaur rocker, Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame, who crossed over into punk and new wave, and later played bass with Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band.
From AWB's website: “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.”
And, I might add, eagerly adopted by white audiences. They continued the cross-over accelerated by Motown, bringing Soul and Funk to some white audiences that might not otherwise have grooved on it. Luv, Luv, Luv these guys!
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