Roger Ball
Roger Ball
@roger-ball
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  Joined March 10, 2026
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Roger Ball is a highly acclaimed Scottish Composer, Arranger, Songwriter, best known as a founding member of the legendary funk and R&B group, the Average White Band (AWB).

Primary Composer of "Pick Up the Pieces": Ball was the chief architect behind AWB's iconic, chart-topping 1974 instrumental hit. He wrote the track from a rehearsal jam, superimposing its famous melody and bridge.

Alongside fellow AWB saxophonist Malcolm "Molly" Duncan, Ball formed half of the band's potent horn section, originally known as "The Dundee Horns".

Ball primarily plays alto and soprano saxophones. His playing style is deeply anchored in a tight, smooth fusion of funk, jazz, and soul. He cites jazz titans like Johnny Hodges, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley as his core saxophone influences, and Oliver Nelson as an inspiration for his horn arrangements.

Before forming AWB in 1971, Ball worked extensively as a session musician in London, arranging and playing for massive acts including Elton John, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Badfinger, and Vinegar Joe. He also shared live stages with Marvin Gaye and Chaka Khan.

In his later career, he released solo albums—Street Struttin' (1995) and Childsplay (2005)—and went on to lead the Roger Ball Quartet.

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The Average White Band: Story of How a Scottish Band Crashed the Funk Scene in the 70's!


Category: Music
Duration: 00:10:08
Description:
They didn’t look the part. But when Average White Band dropped “Pick Up the Pieces,” they flipped the funk world on its head. Straight outta Scotland, these guys crashed the soul charts, turned heads in America, and even rubbed James Brown’s crew the wrong way.

This is the untold story behind one of the funkiest bands to ever break the rules—how they formed, how tragedy struck early on, and how they turned a killer groove into a worldwide hit… even if not everyone was cheering them on.

🎧 Hear the music, feel the story. Welcome to Music Mindset.

#AverageWhiteBand
#PickUpThePieces #FunkHistory #MusicMindset #AWB #ScotlandFunk #JamesBrown #70sMusic #FunkBands #MusicDocumentary


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