'70s and '80s Jazz-Funk recommendations?

[Ari]

Apologies if it has been done before but I searched the forums and did not find many topics on the subject.

I really like old-school '70s and '80s funk, be it straight funk or jazz-funk. I think one of the best artist to corner the jazz-funk style is Roy Ayers... Some of his songs ("everybody loves the sunshine", "can't you see me", "love will bring us back together"...) are funky but have a jazz vibe to them, with interesting solos)

I'm looking for more artists that sound like him, can you recommend some good albums?

I know some Bob James tunes but I think he tends towards smooth jazz, doesn't he? I like Lonnie Liston Smith too but his albums are more downtempo.

Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, Don Blackman put out some great albums in their time too.

Pleasure and Brainstorm are funk bands with great albums that have a jazz side to them.

If you have other recommandations please share!

[Ari]

And I forgot Herbie Hancock in his HeadHunters period... I need more music like this guys!

[Woodchuck]

Roy Ayers
Dexter Wansell
Issac Hayes
Gato Barbieri
Grover Washington (Mr. Magic. It has songs like "Black Frost" & "Knucklehead")

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

Roy Ayers
Dexter Wansell
Issac Hayes
Gato Barbieri
Grover Washington (Mr. Magic. It has songs like "Black Frost" & "Knucklehead")

Dexter Wansel's Life On Mars had a wicked funky bassline!

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Ari

And I forgot Herbie Hancock in his HeadHunters period... I need more music like this guys!

Eddie Henderson's Sunburst. Alphonso Johnson plays bass on a few tracks.
Henderson played in Hancock's Mwandishi band...maybe you should also check out Fat Albert Rotunda.

Other '70s Jazz-Funk I liked were things such as early Spyro Gyra albums-
Morning Dance
Catching The Sun
Incognito
City KIds

...or Jeff Lorber Fusion-
Water Sign
Galaxian

...or early Yellowjackets-
Yellowjackets
Mirage a Trois
Shades
Politics

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

Grover Washington (Mr. Magic. It has songs like "Black Frost" & "Knucklehead")

Believe it or not, I actually liked Winelight.
Some nice bass grooves, IIRC.

[Ari]

Thanks for your input, I'll try to listen to some samples online...

If you guys have more suggestions, keep them comin'!

[Dennis Kong]

Crusaders- on ABC. Chain Reaction & Streetlight are some of my favorites.
Joe Sample's Rainbow Seeker.

Yup to Jim K. Winelight does have some nice lines. Had to learn it for a band, not as easy as it sounds either. Marcus
does clever slurs on the bridge.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Dennis Kong

Crusaders- on ABC. Chain Reaction & Streetlight are some of my favorites.

Add Those Southern Knights, Images, & Free As The Wind.

[Dennis Kong]

Originally Posted by JimK

Add Those Southern Knights, Images, & Free As The Wind.

Those are the ones!
Also: David Sanborn's Voyeur, As We Speak,
Wayne Shorter's tune: Beauty & the Beast from Native
Dancer, & albums: Atlantis, Phantom Navigator.
Casino Lights- live at Montreux 1982. With Yellowjackets, Larry Carlton, Al Jarreau, Neil Larsen, etc

[Ari]

I bought "Fat Albert Rotunda"... it's nice stuff but I'm looking for slightly more modern material...

I have listened to some spyro gyra and I have a Jeff Lorber album - it's nice but a bit too "commercial" sounding for me... too "smooth" even though there is some funk in it.

I have listened to Dexter Wansell samples online and it seems very good, will try to get a hold of some records.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Ari

I bought "Fat Albert Rotunda"... it's nice stuff but I'm looking for slightly more modern material...

You did say '70s 'old school' Jazz-Funk...correct? Old skool does not = "more modern".

I have listened to some spyro gyra and I have a Jeff Lorber album - it's nice but a bit too "commercial" sounding for me... too "smooth" even though there is some funk in it.

It has to be the EARLY material...especially with Lorber! Stick to The Jeff Lorber Fusion & not his 'solo' stuff(processed/smooth/overproduced/sequenced, etc).


Ronnie Laws had some decent '70s Jazz-Funk(Pressure Sensitive).

[Ari]

by more modern I just meant "not as old"

I meant, I've just checked and Fat Albert Rotunda is from 1969... and you can hear it sounds really '60s.

[Aaron J]

If you don't already have them, get Herbie's Flood (Live Thrust...might be only available as a Japanese import), Man-Child, Secrets, and of course Thrust!!! These are some of my favorite albums ever recorded. It is mostly Paul Jackson on bass, but on Man-Child and Secrets, Louis Johnson plays a couple of tracks. Good god that stuff in funky.

[Ari]

I have all of them, except "secrets"... I didn't know that Louis Johson played on these!

Anyway I agree, they are landmark albums!

[narud]

Originally Posted by Ari

I have listened to some spyro gyra and I have a Jeff Lorber album - it's nice but a bit too "commercial" sounding for me... too "smooth" even though there is some funk in it.

the only lorber stuff id bother with is wizard island and water sign. beyond that you might dig some of lenny white's early or new stuf.
the old-venusian summer or streamline(with a young marcus). the new-present tense or edge.

also,definitely pick up cobham/duke band live in europe.

[um... yeah]

Originally Posted by Dennis Kong

Wayne Shorter's tune: Beauty & the Beast from Native Dancer, & albums: Atlantis, Phantom Navigator.

I definitely gotta check those out

Well if you like Roy Ayers, check out Al Jarreau's double live album "Look to the Rainbow". The lineup includes keyboard/piano, vibraphone, bass, and drums and the arrangements are really intruiging and funky, very modern for 1977. Abe Laboriel plays some real tasty bass on it. The drummer in that album is so in the pocket it's ridiculous...I forget the guys name and I'm too lazy to get up and find out.

[Mike Flynn]

Hey Ari, and everyone else - there's a new double album by a UK band called Bah Samba - due out in February, called 'Bah Samba 4' (guess what? It's their fourth album), and that is just killing - with some really nice funk and Latin jazz grooves played on a REAL bass by a real bass player - who'd of thought that might be possible by a funk band today?!

It's BKO Productions ands since I got the promo I've played it half-a-dozen times and it really kicks ass - plus there's a brilliant vocalist Alice Russell on it too and she has a really awesome and beautiful voice - it's really good.

M

[Woodchuck]

Get Lee Ritenour's "RIT" CD, and check out "Mr. Briefcase".

[jusaplaya]

Check out some Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds and Lenny White