The mid-'70s song "Play that Funky Music White Boy" was by Wild Cherry, but if you really want a bunch of pigmentally challenged males to play some funky music, then call on the Average White Band. This band of Scots was anything but average. This 1975 debut featured the smoking instrumental "Pick up the Pieces," which merged hard-bop precision with funk's wanton playfulness. Their vocal numbers, such as "Schoolboy Crush," were also very good. Much of the music from this record has been covered by smooth jazz artists yearning for an edge (like Candy Dulfer) and sampled by savvy DJs. The Average White Band ran short on ideas after a few recordings, but the ones presented here deserve your rapt attention. --Martin Johnson