* En anglais uniquement
The Jamaican reggae jazz band
Zap Pow was formed in 1970 by
David Madden (trumpet), Mike Williams (bass), and
Dwight Pinkney (guitar), and later expanded to include
Glen DaCosta (tenor sax),
Danny McFarlane (organ), Joe McCormack (trombone), and
Max Edwards (drums).
Edwards departed the band in 1977 and was replaced by drummer
Cornell Marshall. Singers Winston "King" Cole,
Prilly Hamilton, and
Beres Hammond all fronted the band at one time or another, but
Zap Pow was at heart primarily an instrumental configuration, and while its live shows were legendary, it was a crack studio session band.
Zap Pow had a minor hit on
Hammond's watch with "The System " in 1978 and a massive one with "This Is Reggae Music" for producer
Harry J. Combined with trombonist
Vin Gordon,
Madden and
DaCosta were frequently billed as
the Zap Pow Horns, and worked with
Bob Marley in that capacity for a time. The Rhino compilation called Reggae Rules, which collects singles the band released between 1973 and 1980, is a good starting point to get a sense of this exciting group, which mined a synthesis of reggae, jazz, funk, and soul well before such a concept became fully accepted. ~ Steve Leggett