Arguably the best funk band to ever surface outside of the U.S. during the '70s, Scottish group Average White Band racked up an impressive string of hits after first scoring on the charts with its sophomore album 'AWB' in 1974. Multi-instrumentalists Alan Gorrie, Onnie McIntyre, Hamish Stuart, horn players Molly Duncan and Roger Ball and drummer Robbie McIntosh first met in their native Scotland during the 1960s, drawn together by their mutual interest in American soul sounds.

After getting established as session players in London late in the decade, the players worked in a variety of acts before finally forming the Average White Band in 1971. A support slot at Eric Clapton's 1973 comeback concert earned the band raves, eventually leading to recording contracts with MCA and Atlantic. Though their debut sold poorly, the follow-up effort included the hits "Pick Up the Pieces" and "Person to Person" as well as a fine take on the Isley Brothers' song "Work to Do."

Though the drug-overdose death of McIntosh could have derailed the group, the band found new drummer Steve Ferrone and soldiered on to record another hit album "Cut the Cake." Established as one of the foremost groove-makers performing during the '70s, AWB became a hugely popular live attraction and continued to chart hits through the disco era.

The band split during the '80s, but reconvened late in the decade with some of the original players (Gorrie and McIntyre are currently the only founding members in the band), remaining a potent live act and still occasionally issuing new material. The outfit plays a rare smaller venue when AWB comes to Yoshi's in Oakland for two nights starting Tuesday.

Average White Band
Tuesday-Wednesday, Nov. 13-14, 8 p.m. $25
Yoshi's Oakland