Breakwater is a funk band with a subtle undertone of jazz and rhythm & blues that was formed in Philadelphia, PA in 1971. The original members grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same school.
The original members consisted of the late Kae Williams, Jr, (keyboards and vocals), Gene Robinson (lead vocals and trumpet), James “Jimmy” Jones (drummer and vocals), Linc ‘Love’ Gilmore (guitar and vocals), Peter Lloyd (bass), Vince Garnell (woodwinds and vocals), Larry Cooley (trombone) and Harry Lindsey (percussions).
According to Darryl “DA” Williams (brother of Kae Williams, Jr.), “Breakwater was the first self-contained band out of Philadelphia to achieve national recording status.”
Breakwater signs with Arista Records
In 1978 Breakwater was signed to Arista Records. Their freshman album ‘Breakwater’ was released in 1978, followed by their sophomore album ‘Splashdown’ (1980).
“Their unique sound caught the attention of Clive Davis, President of Arista Records who in turn signed them as the first rhythm & blues/funk group to the label,” says DA Williams.
When Breakwater signed with Arista records their band consisted of original members Kae Williams, Jr, (keyboards and vocals), Gene Robinson (lead vocals and trumpet), James “Jimmy” Jones (drummer and vocals), Linc ‘Love’ Gilmore (guitar and vocals), Vince Garnell (woodwinds and vocals) and John ‘Dutch’ Braddock (percussions), along with the addition of Steve Green (bass and vocals) and Greg Scott (woodwinds and vocals).
Breakwater Dismantled in the Mid-80s.
In Memory of Kae Williams, Jr.
Kae Williams, Jr. (March 17, 1956 – July 11, 2008) was the son of the late Kae Williams, Sr., who was a pioneer in radio broadcasting in the Philadelphia area as well as wrote the song ‘Get A Job’ for The Silhouettes.
After the band dismantled, Kae Williams, Jr. took the opportunity to commute back and forth to New York to attend college as well as pursue a career as a solo keyboardist, songwriter and producer. He worked with national artists such as George Howard (worked on his first project), Kathy Sledge (project for the movie Action Jackson), Bootsy Collins, Loose Ends, the late Luther Vandross of Change, the late Phyllis Hyman, Cindi Lauper and a host of others.
‘Release the Beast’ by Kae Williams, Jr. was sampled on the song ‘Robot Rock’ by Daft Punk. ‘ Robot Rock ’ was featured during a fight scene in Iron Man 2.
Breakwater Back Together Again
Breakwater reunited in December 2009, after more than a 30 year hiatus; and two years after the passing of Kae Williams, Jr.
Breakwater performed at the 7th Annual West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, June 18, 2010. The group consisted of original Arista recording artist members, James “Jimmy” Jones(drummer), Steve Green (bass), John ‘Dutch’ Braddock (percussions) and Gene Robinson (lead vocals), along with the addition Cheryl M. Hicks (vocals), Henri McMillan (trumpet and vocals), Greg Scott (sax and vocals), Michael “Mike” Ray (trumpet), Darren M Daughtry (guitar), Robert “Rob” Lucas (trombone, keyboards and vocals) and Brian Williams (keyboards).
“Seeing Breakwater perform for the first time after 30 years was a bittersweet experience. It was difficult watching the band perform without my brother; however seeing his work live on through the band’s performance was exciting. It was also good to see the original members performing together,” says DA Williams.
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