Funk Friday - The Chicago Sound - March 16th 2012

1. We Ain't Free - Boscoe

 The south side of Chicago produced many soul / funk superstars but is also known in funk circles as one of the beating hearts of American funk in the early-to-mid 1970s. The golden era of funk music was born out of the... need for a rougher, tougher sound evolving out of the popular soul music of the early 1960s and into the angry, violent mood in America, especially in low-income African-American communities beginning around 1967. Coming straight out of the south side, the self-titled album by Boscoe, discovered and re-released by the always reliable Numero Group in 2008, is a slice of virulently political funk that explicitly skewers American policy, while pushing through tremendously infectious funk grooves and melodies. "We Ain't Free" is the best example of the band's fearlessness, starting off with a dissonant blast on the Star-Spangled Banner then morphing into a delicious groove with the protest-worthy "Can't you see / We ain't free" chanted in sparkling harmonies throughout. 

2. Black Enuff - The Pharaohs 

 Before Maurice White formed the pop-funk behemoth known as Earth Wind and Fire, he was a session drummer from Chicago working for the legendary Chess records, having recorded tracks with the likes of legendary artists ...like Etta James. But before EWF, White put together an 11 (!) piece ensemble band with a percussion section led by White and Derf Reklaw, who would go on to become one of the most respected names in the world jazz genre. Their first album "Awakening", which Allmusic called "absolutely one of the finest funk albums of the early 70s, and one of the most unfairly neglected" is an impressively mounted LP that lays down complex horn arrangements on top of gritty afro-funk rhythms and a rowdy, free-flowing lyricism in tune with black protest rhetoric of the early 1970s. Easy to see early elements of EWF in this cut, called "Black Enuff".


3. Help Somebody - Earth Wind & Fire

Probably the most successful funk group ever, Earth Wind And Fire is founder Maurice White's crowning achievement and the truest expression of the Chicago funk sound. Formed in 1971 by White, their first, self-titled... album stood out in the increasingly crowded pantheon of funk groups of the 1970s with a decidedly eclectic sound employing afro-funk style grooves, heavy use of African percussion, White's complex horn arrangements (honed his time with The Pharaohs), and progressive, positive lyrics. EWF would go on to record seven top-10 albums, influence more popular musicians than appropriate to name and play for President Obama at his administration's first social event. "Help Somebody" is the first cut off their debut LP.

Funk Friday - NOLA Edition - February 17th 2012

Hey Y'all!

In honor of Mardi Gras next week I've decided to dedicate this week's Funk Friday to New Orleans-style funk music: A big, raw, noisy and sustained genre of The Funk that is characterized by its loyalty to the very roots of the New Orleans Jazz scene, specifically its use of brass instruments and band leaders that simultaneously front and orchestrate a league of backing musicians.

The NOLA style's unmistakable swing and overtly rhythmic sound have allowed for an international appreciation of artists like The Meters, The Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint and Eddie Bo. I've featured The Meters & Eddie Bo in the past, but here's a great rare-funk track from some NOLA style all-stars and a couple from the new heavyweights of the genre.

1. Earl King - Tic Tac Toe

This is a delicious piece of New Orleans-style Funk from NOLA R&B legend Earl King. King, better known for his compositions covered by popular musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, recorded this rare 45' from 1970 with the help of producer Allen Toussaint and The Meters as his backing band. Drummer Zigaboo Modeliste and guitarist Leo Nocentelli's funky fingerprints are all over this track; a simplistic but noteworthy collaboration from the libraries of Toussaint, The Meters and King.

2. Soul Rebels Brass Band - My Time

Continuing the tradition of the New Orleans Brass band into today's decidedly amorphous musical environment, the Soul Rebels Brass Band employ a cutting-edge version of the NOLA style, meshing Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop and R&B, making for an eclectically explosive listening experience. Since Katrina, the band has garnered international attention for bringing awareness to the devastation of their hometown, with appearances in HBO's NOLA-based "Treme" and Discovery Channel's "After the Catch" and a full touring slate including a set at the 2012 Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

3. Big Sam's Funky Nation - Big Ole Booty

Big Sam Williams is a true ambassador for NOLA style Funk the world over. Having seen him twice, once at Austin's SXSW music festival and most recently this summer, headlining the Toronto Beaches Jazz Festival, Big Sam and his Funky Nation are the undisputed champions of the hard working funk band. His shows are big, loud, long funk parties, the way that NOLA style funk parties should be. Here' s one of the better examples of Big Sam's sweat-drenched, booty shaking jams.

Funk Friday - February 10th 2012

1. Esperanza Spalding - Black Gold

You might recognize Esperanza Spalding as the winner of the Best New Artist award at the 2011 Grammys (beating out Justin Bieber and Drake). What you might not know is that she is a highly accomplished musician and academic, having taught at the Berklee College of music and travelled all over the world with four albums under her belt. Oh yeah, and she's only 27 years old. This is her latest single, a funky slice of neo-soul off her upcoming album "Radio Music Society".

2. BADBADNOTGOOD - Electric Relaxation

Toronto Hip-Hop Jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD have been steadily building buzz and an intensely loyal fan base for themselves ever since posting a cryptic but headbangingly-original Jazz-Funk cover of a track from the now infamous Hip-Hop collective Odd Future back in April of 2010. Comprised of three friends from Humber College's Music program, BBNG have found themselves mentioned in the same sentence as big names like Flying Lotus, at the forefront of the post-modern Hip-Hop scene in North America. This is their silky, funky, dark cover of A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation". Addictive stuff.

3. Eddie Hazel - Physical Love

 

 

 

A spacey, jammed out track off of legendary Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel's 1977 LP "Game, Dames & Guitar Thangs." Up there with Hendrix as one of the greatest black lead guitarists ever, Hazel is known for his explosive work with George Clinton and the P-Funk gang, but this album in particular showcases Hazel at his best, layering tight grooves on top of wild, facemelting guitar work. A fantastic LP, especially on Vinyl.

 

Funk Friday - January 27th 2012

1. Funk Power - Creative Funk

In 1971 a group of friends between the ages of 17 to 21 from Queens, NYC got together to start their own DIY record label and release some tunes in their neighbourhood, grassroots style. The A-side of their first record "Ready Made Family" sold over 25,000 units in the NYC area. This track is the B-side of the same record, a hard-grooving funky bomb called "Funk Power".

2. Eddie Simpson - Big Black Funky Slave

A very rare track most famously sampled by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist on their also rare album, "Product Placement". I wasn't able to dig up much about Simpson, other than he was a little-known artist on Duke Records out of Houston. Duke was one of many southern R&B/Soul labels that proliferated in the 60s and 70s, cranking out funky EPs that were mildly popular at the time, eventually fading into obscurity until discovered by today's crate-digging DJ crowd.

3. Motherlode - When I Die

 Coming straight out of London, Ontario, Motherlode are generally known as one-hit-wonders with the pop-soul track "When I Die." With a huge smooth hook and tight rhythm section, the song made it to #18 on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1969 but the band was never able to stay in the pop charts, only releasing one subsequent album after their 1970 debut LP. The song was resurrected in the popular consciousness by the late, great Hip-Hop producer J-Dilla, who sampled the track on the intro to his LP "Donuts."

Funk Friday - January 20th 2012

1. Haruomi Hosono - Bara to Yajyu 

An intensely heavy piece of rare groove all the way from Japan. Haruomi Hosono, known in Japan as a member of influential folk-rock group "Happy End", had one of the songs he wrote for the band featured in Sophia Coppola's "Lost in Translation".

2. Hilton Felton - Bee Bop Boogie

Monstrous jazz-groove track from another highly prolific, extremely versatile jazz pianist/organist. Hilton Felton toured with George Benson, founded and managed his own record label and scored his biggest hit from the "Man for All Reasons" album, a prized rare jazz-funk album being reissued sometime this year. 

3. Steam Heat - Funk 'N' Roll

Steam Heat's "Austin Funk" LP is currently out of print on vinyl, with only 1000 copies ever pressed, making it a really tough-to-find gem even for Austin locals. A track so funky it might tear your head clean off.

 

 

Funk Friday - January 13th 2012

1. Brass Construction - Get Up

This fantastic Soul Train rendition of a hit by popular late 70s' Disco-Funk band Brass Construction is a testament to the musicianship that remained in Black music while popular radio went mainstream with repetitive, overproduced Disco-Dance singles.

2. The Meters - Cissy Strut 

(08/12/11: Outside Lands - San Francisco, CA)

The Meters are simply the most influential workout-funk band of all time. After breaking up officially in 1977, spawning offshoot bands that some of us may already know and love (Neville Brothers, The Funky Meters, Zigaboo Modeliste Band), the so called "Original" Meters reunited last year to play a few select shows. Here's a decent clip of the Original Meters performing a jammed out version of "Cissy Strut", easily my favorite workout-funk song ever. 

3. The Meters - Here Comes the Meter Man

Here' s a great example of "workout-funk" from the Original Meters. Workout-funk is basically a really spare and stripped down sub-genre of funk that is entirely instrumental, with tracks usually no longer than five minutes given their simplistic song structures. The Original Meters are the undisputed kings of the genre.

 

Funk Friday - January 6th 2012 - Funky Hip Hop

1.The Roots Ft. Big KRIT - Make My

The Roots are one of the most socially and philosophically thought-provoking hip-hop groups ever. Their latest album "Undun" is a concept album told from the perspective of a dead hustler looking back on his life. This is my favorite track off the LP, one of the most gorgeously written and performed hip-hop tracks of 2011.

2. Kero One - Fly Fly Away

Kero One is an independent hip-hop artist out of San Francisco that has released two very dense, very funky and very jazzy records. He has been compared to Kanye West and Q-Tip in his use of real instruments and vocalists in his production.

3. Alpha Noise - New Girl

Tight beat on this track from independent Hip-Hop crew Alpha.Noise. Early 90's style jazz/funk production here. A timely song for me personally, but don't take the lyrics too seriously. Whenever I end a relationship with a girl this is really my go-to track. The MCs alternate between desperate, egotistical and downright cool on this one.