Rubicon-Rubicon (1978)

Composed primarily of white musicians, Rubicon was one of the most renowned bands of a distinctly Black sound and style: funk rock. Formed in late 1970s California, the band was spearheaded by Jerry Martini, formerly of the legendary Sly & The Family Stone, who recruited Brad Gillis (guitar), Dennis Marcello (saxophone), Jack Blades (bass), Greg Eckler (drums), Johnny Colla (saxophone), and Jim Pugh (keyboards). Their self-titled debut album, "Rubicon", was released in 1978 and garnered significant chart success thanks to tracks like the ballad "I'm Gonna Take Care of Everything" and the powerful funk rock anthem "Vanilla Gorilla". This first release also featured other high-caliber tracks such as the powerful and exhilarating funk numbers "That's The Way Things Are", "And The Moon's Out Tonight" and "Cheatin' ", as well as the melodic rock song "Closely". The album's positive reception opened doors for them to participate in the second edition of the legendary "California Jam" festival, held in Ontario in mid-1978. A year later, with the addition of a new drummer (Kelly Keagy), they released their second and final album, "America Dreams", which continued their funk sound but with subtle melodic rock influences. Shortly after the release of "America Dreams", the band definitively dissolved, with some members (Blades, Gillis, and Keagy) joining the AOR band Night Ranger, while saxophonist Colla joined Huey Lewis and The News.