Miami of the mid-1970s was a musical hotbed. With
KC & the Sunshine Band riding high on the charts and
T.K. Records cranking out the hits, it was a draw to musicians from around the country.
Herman Kelly was one of them. The drummer moved from Detroit -- where he was making a name as a session player -- to go to school in Miami as well as play with musicians there. He soon hooked up with a producer and a band, then in early 1978 headed to the studio. The resulting song, "Dance to the Drummer's Beat," was a luminescent slice of disco funk full of
Kelly's percussion, splashes of horns, and a rubbery groove that no doubt was a highlight when spun in clubs around the city. (It had legs too, and it later became a staple for hip-hop producers on the lookout for a good sample.) The group, now named
Herman Kelly & Life, went on to finish an album, and in late 1978,
Percussion Explosion! was released. The rest of the tracks didn't quite measure up to "Dance," but that's not a surprise since it's such a classic. There are songs made for dancefloors -- "Who's That Funky D.J." is an uptempo jam that features
Kelly going to town on bongos, "Do the Handbone" is a goofy funk novelty -- and romance (the light disco groover "Time After Time"). The surprise winner of the set is "Share Your Love," where the band set up a rippling groove and dramatic atmosphere that
Curtis Mayfield would have been glad to call his own. The record isn't a lost classic, but it's fun and more than worth checking out for fans of the Miami scene of the '70s. ~ Tim Sendra
