The Hip Spanic Allstars is a big band—15 strong, complete with horn section, multiple bassists and a rumbling percussion line. The San Francisco group cuts a lively groove or two on its latest album, Old School Revolution. They can assume the “all-star” label by virtue of its members’ past lives in Santana, Tower of Power and even Primus. They are decidedly “old school” with a ’70s funk sound dressed up in bright Latin colors. They also kick back on a few numbers, allowing the vocals to shine like those classic harmony balladeers from War.
