by Andy Kellman
Wood Brass & Steel was a disco group that released one 1976 LP before disappearing. That self-titled album, released on the Turbo label, spawned a pair of minor hits in the form of "Always There" (a Ronnie Laws cover that did well in the U.K.) and "Funkanova" (an underground disco classic with jazz leanings that remained a favorite with clubbers decades later). The anchor of the group, bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald, would later become members of the Sugarhill studio band. Other members of Wood Brass & Steel included keyboardist Hubert Powell, reeds player Otha Stokes, trumpet player Randy Bost, guitarist Barton Campbell, and drummer Harold Sargent.