Mandrill - Mandrilland 1974

 AllMusic Review by Amy Hanson

"With four superb and nearly flawless albums under their belt, it was no surprise to anyone when raves began pouring in for Mandrill's ambitious August 1974 double LP Mandrilland. Recorded in the swampy, seething backwater of Bogalusa, LA, the album proved by far to be the band's most sophisticated set of jams to date, thankfully in spite of the replacement of guitarist Doug Rodrigues for the departing Omar Mesa. Although the set is packed with deliciously smooth grooves, it's clear that the band was continuing to experiment with bright clatters and brash beats -- one spin through "Road to Love" provides a map through some of the best jazz-funk-Latin fusion, as notes tumble down into empty spaces before being lifted up by the hush of the vocals. It's an eclectic vibe, and one that plays beautifully off the quiet soul hook of "Khlida," a song that uses Carlos Wilson's flute and various vibes and synths to add Mandrill sparkle to what could otherwise have become a bland instrumental. Elsewhere, of course, Mandrill kick up classic, brassy funk on "Positive Thing" -- an R&B Top 30 hit -- while inflecting a little bayou blues into the often overlooked "Folks on a Hill."

Mandrill - Composite Truth & Just Outside Of Town 1973

 "...MANDRILL’s first three albums were recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York’s Greenwich Village.  Their reputation as a “World Music Group” and “Champions for Peace” began with their self-titled debut album, which contained the epic composition titled “Peace and Love.”  This amazing suite was performed by the group accompanied by the Symphony of the New World, an 80-piece orchestra, and a 200-voice chorus to a Standing Room Only audience at Philharmonic Hall in New York City.

During this momentous evening, the president of Polydor Records presented MANDRILL with a platinum album for their participation, with Aretha Franklin and other musicians, in the creation of a recording for the United Nation’s UNESCO that raised funds for children and international refugees.

Their sophomore release Mandrill Is contained the single “Get It All” and the cosmic anthem “Ape is High.”  The third album, Composite Truth, released in 1973, propelled MANDRILL’s popularity around the globe with their jam-heavy funk rhythms encapsulated in the song “Fencewalk.”  Their freewheeling approach influenced peers such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Earth Wind & Fire and others.  As their popularity grew, so did their appearances on all of the major music TV shows.  MANDRILL performed on both of Don Kirshner’s series, In Concert and Rock Concert.  On numerous occasions they appeared on Soul Train with Don Cornelius, Midnight Special with Wolfman Jack, Soul! with Ellis Haizlip and Like It Is with Gil Noble..."  http://mandrillmusic.com/mandrill-bio

Mandrill 1970 & Mandrill Is 1972

 "Mandrill is an American multi-genre band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1968. Members of the band included three brothers: Carlos Wilson (trombone, vocals), Lou Wilson (trumpet, vocals) and Ric Wilson (sax, vocals). The brothers were born in Panama and grew up in the Bedford–Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. Other members included Claude 'Coffee' Cave II (keyboards, percussion, vocals); Bundy Cenac (bass) on the band's eponymous first album, replaced by Fudgie Kae Solomon (bass, vocals) in 1972; Charles Padro (drums, percussion, vocals) for two albums, replaced by Neftali Santiago (drums, percussion, vocals); and Omar Mesa (guitar, vocals), replaced in 1974 by Doug Rodriguez (lead guitar, vocals). This completed the Mandrill line-up from the Polydor years 1970–1975 which make up the Mandrill sound. Other members of the band in later years included Juaquin Jessup (lead guitar, percussion, vocals) and Tommy Trujillo (guitar).

Their songs have been sampled by many hip-hop acts such as Johnny D, Public Enemy, DJ Shadow, Shawty Lo, Big L, Kanye West, Jin, Eminem, and 9th Wonder. They combined funk with many other styles such as Latin, salsa, rock, blues and soul.

Some of their songs have been used in the soundtracks of films: The Greatest (1977), directed by Tom Gries and Monte Hellman; and The Warriors (1979), directed by Walter Hill. The band continues to perform live. Their signature song is arguably "Fencewalk."

Composite Truth (1973) was the band's most commercially successful album." wiki