That’s the Houston high school band whose music from the ’70s has been sampled by dozens of DJs and funk bands. The group and its great director, Conrad Johnson, were even the subjects of a fun, inspiring music documentary, Thunder Soul. plus an NPR story.

And over the weekend, in the New York Times’ annual roundup of gift box CD sets, critic Jon Pareles includes the CD in his citation of several soul and funk groups:

It’s hard to imagine a high school stage band getting any funkier than the Kashmere Stage Band, from Houston, in its prime. Its director, Conrad O. Johnson, turned eager teenagers into an enthusiastic, disciplined big band. Bubbling, chattering syncopation propelled a tautly coordinated, well-tuned horn section and soloists who could be punchy, psychedelic or boppy. Teenage adrenaline keeps the tempos pumping, and the band also had the advantage of studio stereo recording.