Geoffrey Williams (born February 26, 1957) – Hustle Bus Stop (1977)
The blistering disco funk single from Mastermind's debut LP on Prelude Records was co-written by keyboardist Williams and produced by Danny Weiss.
Singer/songwriter and keyboardist Geoffrey Lennox Williams was a member of Mastermind, the 10-piece funk outfit from New York. The group was masterminded by Williams’ collaborator Julian DaSouza, owner of Mastermind Records.
Mastermind released their self-titled debut LP in 1977, and after it didn't sell, never put out another album. Possibly because it came out on Prelude Records, which at the time was busy churning out classic disco 12-inchers, and not a big enough label to effectively distribute a disco funk LP that leaned more heavily towards the funky side.
Because otherwise, this superb record should have been huge. Mastermind sounded a lot like Brass Construction. And Mass Production.
The album was produced by Danny Weiss, who as a commenter at the now-defunct site discomusic.com once helpfully pointed out:
“usually worked on stuff that came out on the Vanguard label such as Players Association, The Ring, and Roni Griffith, so he must've been moonlighting on this early Prelude project.”
Notably, Weiss produced most of jazz great Larry Coryell’s albums on Vanguard, including the classic debut LP from his group The Eleventh House, featuring Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Weiss later produced Mouzon’s studio disco project Poussez.
A few well-known jazz players appeared as special guests, including saxophonist David Sanborn, guitarist Steve Khan, saxophonist and flutist Seldon Powell, and Madlib’s uncle, the trumpeter Jon Faddis.
“Hustle Bus Stop” was the blistering disco funk single released from the LP, which Williams co-wrote with guitarist Joe Frye. Altogether he co-wrote four of the seven tracks on the album and either arranged or co-arranged all the horns. Other standouts included the super funky title track, plus “Free And Wild” and “Disco Party In The Street.”
They did self-release one more single on Mastermind Records in 1981 before calling it quits, distributed by Brooklyn-based Sun Records. The disco-funk feel good anthem “Happy Music” was the A-side, again co-written by Williams, with “Uncle Slam” on the flip.
Even though Mastermind only released one album, it was one that will forever be remembered as an overlooked masterpiece.
#funk #disco #Mastermind #GeoffreyWilliams