Courtial -

Courtial was an American jazz-funk band that released the album Don’t You Think It’s Time on Pipeline Records Inc. in 1976.

Members: Bill Courtial (guitar), Errol Knowles (vocals), David “Dasher” Kempton (keyboards), Ed Williams III (bass), Geoff Whyte (drums), Jose Najera (percussion)

Background

Courtial was a Bay Area jazz-funk group centered on guitarist Bill Courtial and vocalist Errol Knowles, both former members of Latin rock collective Azteca. The group formed to perform music for the play Us, The Rest of Us, which folded on opening night. Retaining their momentum, they took up a residency at Butterfield’s in Menlo Park, filling a vacancy left by the sudden death of Vince Guaraldi.

Bill Courtial played concurrently with jazz-rock band Solar Plexus. Keyboardist David “Dasher” Kempton appeared on Essra Mohawk’s self-titled 1974 album. Bassist Edward Williams III backed Esther Satterfield on her 1974 debut, Once I Loved. The lineup rounded out with percussionist Jose Najera and drummer Geoff Whyte.

Don’t You Think It’s Time

Courtial’s lone-released album, Don’t You Think It’s Time, appeared in 1976 on Pipeline Records Inc.

The album features contributions from Latin jazz veteran Pete Escovedo, a fellow Azteca alumnus, who plays congas on four tracks. Courtial co-produced and arranged the material, which includes songwriting input from all six members, with recurring contributions from co-producer Steve Whiting.

The tracklist includes three songs written by Williams (“Don’t You Think It’s Time,” “Time to Explain,” “Poem for Helen”), two apiece by Courtial with Knowles (“Losing You”) and Whiting (“Best of Friends,” “Love Nevermore”), and one each by Kempton with Knowles (“Thank You Baby”) and Whyte (“Take the Time,” “Corn on the Cob / Time”).

A1. “Don’t You Think It’s Time” (3:42)
A2. “Thank You Baby” (3:40)
A3. “Time to Explain” (3:19)
A4. “Best of Friends” (3:53)
A5. “Poem for Helen” (3:52)

B1. “Losing You” (3:17)
B2. “Love Nevermore” (4:20)
B3. “Take the Time” (3:19)
B4. “Corn on the Cob / Time” (6:02)

Sessions took place at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco with engineer Ken Hopkins, recently active with Norman Connors, Catalyst, and Yusef Lateef. Art direction came from Scott Peterson, with a cover concept and photography by Herbie Greene depicting Courtial and Knowles in Renaissance attire.

“Don’t You Think It’s Time” appeared as a single backed with “Losing You.”

Postlude

Courtial recorded a follow-up at Music Annex in Palo Alto, pressed on cassette in limited quantities.

Willie Bobo took interest in the band and enlisted Courtial, Knowles, and Kempton for his 1979 Columbia album and European tour. Courtial and Knowles also co-wrote the title track to Happy Together, a 1978 album by Pete Escovedo and his daughter Sheila. Najera later surfaced on Levels of Consciousness, a 1979 Latin-jazz release by Babatunde & Phenomena.

Discography: