English drum legend Cozy Powell is known not only as an iconic percussionist who worked with Rainbow, Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Brian May, etc., but also as a musician's musician. Powell's loose yet precise and organic feel is not an easy thing to copy and at times he could make complex parts sound deceptively simple. Powell was the perfect drummer to be able to appeal to and bridge the gap between fans of working man's hard rock and prog virtuosos.
Produced by Chris Bittner (Coheed & Cambria, Kings Destroy) and Goss, KILLER is an essential tribute that manages to honor the subject while also breathtakingly showcase the skills of those involved. The bright and adept horns come courtesy of popular jam band Conehead Buddha, often swapping vocal patterns for brass from the original melodies of songs Powell played on. Cellist Jane Scarpantoni (Lou Reed, Bob Mould) and Keyboardist Michael Farrell (Alanis Morissette, Morrissey) add extra depth and texture while Tommy's brother Brian Goss (The Noise, Dripping Goss), Justin Cross and Jesse Murphy (Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant) compliment things with impressive string chops and tasteful support. Other contributors include Shannon Lynch, Colin Almquist, Suke Cerulo and Justin Cross of Conehead affiliation. Central to it all, Tommy Goss lays down performances surely worthy of Powell's approval on fun and fluid classics from Rainbow, The Jeff Beck Group and more.
"I've been wanting to make this record for twenty years," offers Tommy Goss. "It's definitely an amalgamation of listening to the records in my mom’s house growing up (Cozy Cole, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass) and the instrumental records I discovered in my teens...Cozy Powell solo records, Jeff Beck, Stanley Clark and the first Journey record. Then after seeing Jane Scarpantoni play with the Lounge Lizards at the Village Gate in the late 90’s I knew I wanted to make music like that."
"In 2019 I finally saw my opportunity to get started," Goss continues. "The main goal was to make a record with my friends that I have played with over the years. Playing with the Buddha for a few years, it only made sense to use the horns in lieu of the keyboards used on a lot of the records from the 70’s and early 80’s. And I love my brother's guitar playing and wanted to hear him rip some guitar solos. He hasn’t done that in a few years."
KILLER represents not just a snapshot of friendly collaborators doing what they love in a modern context, it also serves as a reminder of how Cozy Powell's contributions to music are a vast, ongoing conversation that is still as relevant as ever.
