Is Funk A Dying Genre?

[Kavorka]

Maroon 5 is awesome - funky without actually being funk. Joss Stone is soulful and, listening to her, its hard to believe she's a 16-17 year old. Awesome, mature voice that's perfect for soul music.

[ebozzz]

Originally Posted by Kavorka

Maroon 5 is awesome - funky without actually being funk. Joss Stone is soulful and, listening to her, its hard to believe she's a 16-17 year old. Awesome, mature voice that's perfect for soul music.

I'm on it!

[DaveBeny]

I personally don't foresee a return to Parliament-Funkadelic or classic '70s funk in the near future. There is a lot of funky stuff to be found in modern music though, as the influence of funk is pretty widespread.

ESG are a funky group that have been around since the late '70s that are still going today. They're one of the most sampled artists behind James Brown and P-Funk. One of their classic tracks is 'Moody' (it's just vocals, bass guitar, drums + perc!), which was very influential on early house music.

Try opening up your ears to some dance music. Lots of funky stuff out there, and live basslines are pretty common.

Try to check out:
Basement Jaxx - 'Good Luck'
Basement Jaxx - 'Right Here's The Spot'
Daft Punk - 'Around The World'
Daft Punk - 'Face To Face'
Copyright Pres One Track Mind feat. Angie Brown - 'Good For You'
Misled - 'Feels Like It's Better' (Disco Remake

The final two tracks in that list are taken from one of the Hed Kandi 'Disco Heaven' compilations. Both have funky bass guitar lines.

[Muzique Fann]

Look for live stuff by the Grey Boy Allstars...

[heath_the_great]

Originally Posted by David Benyahia

Basement Jaxx - 'Good Luck'
Basement Jaxx - 'Right Here's The Spot'

i really like those songs....especially right heres the spot with meshell ndegeo chello.....

[Bayou_Brawler]

Originally Posted by heath_the_great

rhcp are starting to loose da funk a little,

if they ever had it...they haven't had it since blood sugar sex magic.

[Bayou_Brawler]

Originally Posted by ebozzz

I've got Body Over Mind from Freek and I understand that he has a new release titled The Air Is Fresher Underground. What do I think of him? Let's just say that I would have to hear his new release before buying.

there are 3 songs on each of those albums that are FUNKY.....the rest are not.

ok we're talking about funk here right...not groove.

there is a simple funk test. bite into 5 lemons and take a pic of your face...you should have a: oh my god that was sour / ugggh gross look on your face. then take a pic listening to various bands you think are funky...if you don't make that face...it's not funky.

[heath_the_great]

Originally Posted by Bayou_Brawler

if they ever had it...they haven't had it since blood sugar sex magic.

Whats Sir Pycho Sexy?
Aeroplane?
Walkabout?
Shallow Be Thy Name?

[Bruce Lindfield]

There is a Jazz Funk "scene" in London and there bands who play at the Jazz Cafe and venues like that.

The biggest names is Incognito - they released a new album last year which has soem incredibly funky tracks - a favourite to play in my car - always puts a smile on my face. I like all the albums I have been able to find.

Julian Crampton is an incredibly funky bass player with great chops and they always have wonderful singers and they draw in the best young-ish players on the Jazz scene as well - like Ed Jones, Garard Presencer etc.

Another person who's working in a funky kind of area in London, is Alex Wilson - who is big on Afro Cuban music, but mixes it with other styles - so his R&B Latino has some pretty funky tracks!!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by David Benyahia

I personally don't foresee a return to Parliament-Funkadelic or classic '70s funk in the near future. There is a lot of funky stuff to be found in modern music though, as the influence of funk is pretty widespread.

ESG are a funky group that have been around since the late '70s that are still going today. They're one of the most sampled artists behind James Brown and P-Funk. One of their classic tracks is 'Moody' (it's just vocals, bass guitar, drums + perc!), which was very influential on early house music.

Try opening up your ears to some dance music. Lots of funky stuff out there, and live basslines are pretty common.

Try to check out:
Basement Jaxx - 'Good Luck'
Basement Jaxx - 'Right Here's The Spot'
Daft Punk - 'Around The World'
Daft Punk - 'Face To Face'
Copyright Pres One Track Mind feat. Angie Brown - 'Good For You'
Misled - 'Feels Like It's Better' (Disco Remake

The final two tracks in that list are taken from one of the Hed Kandi 'Disco Heaven' compilations. Both have funky bass guitar lines.

Did you see Basement Jaxx from Glastonbury - on BBC2/3 ? I thought it was pretty good - they also had Jamie Cullum and Geoff Gascoyne was playing some pretty funky basslines on a Ken Smith 5-string instead of his usual DB!!

[DaveBeny]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Did you see Basement Jaxx from Glastonbury - on BBC2/3 ? I thought it was pretty good - they also had Jamie Cullum and Geoff Gascoyne was playing some pretty funky basslines on a Ken Smith 5-string instead of his usual DB!!

I was only able to see the nightly highlights shows on BBC2 Bruce. I do like Basement Jaxx and saw them in Nottingham a couple of months ago - they can really cut it as a live act. The two female singers they have really have some lungpower!

I did see one track by Jamie Cullum - I don't know, I wasn't really that impressed? Was it Geoff Gascoyne on EBG? I thought it was somebody else, although the drummer is the same guy that's always been with Cullum.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Yeah - definitely Geoff - I've seen him loads of times at Brighton Jazz club!!

I'm not that big a Jamie fan - but there were some songs with really funky basslines - maybe didn't make it to the highlights show?

[Bayou_Brawler]

Originally Posted by heath_the_great

Whats Sir Pycho Sexy?
Aeroplane?
Walkabout?
Shallow Be Thy Name?

what about the other 90% of their material

yeah the rhcp have a few funky tracks......i would never classisfy them as a funk band though.

blood sugar was a great album though.

[heath_the_great]

theres no jazz clubs here in newcastle that i know of, could be an underground place somewhere.....but newy is getting overrun by metal

there is a nice club (from what ive seen on telly) in sydney (2 hour train ride away) called the basement, one night a week they have a show on on tv playing one night they have, the bigger name bands of course..but im trying to organise something with my mates to go down once a month or something

http://www.thebasement.com.au/club/default.asp

[Funky Doctor]

Originally Posted by heath_the_great

theres no jazz clubs here in newcastle

You're kidding right. There might not be much here in the way of funk, jazz or originals even, but Fumi Boca (amazingly funky, they recently put out an album) have a monthly spot at the Delany. Actually you probly know Adam Miller their guitarist... but seriously, check out the dungeon, dam good artists play there, like James Muller and Bernie mcgann to name a few. More jazz oriented though... Check it out.

[Matt Till]

I really think it is. I hate to break it to you guys.

All Nu-Funk really sounds watered down/lame. (Though I haven't heard Freakbass who is aparently Bootsy's new funk prodigy). Most true funk has died off though. But all music grows to be a bastardized form of itself. Viva La France.

[heath_the_great]

wheres the dungeon?..sorry only been 18 for..hmm..2 months now and since most my mates are really quite teenie bopper so most my nights out are at frostbites or surf city...alcahol, its amazing what it'll let you put up with ...adam miller? as the guy who works at musichq, who i bought my kubicki off?

thats the one thing i dislike about my friends...they would rather get pissed and dance aroud like fools to brain frying pop music than get drunk and chill to some jazz, funk or soul..oh well

[ebozzz]

Originally Posted by Bayou_Brawler

there are 3 songs on each of those albums that are FUNKY.....the rest are not.

ok we're talking about funk here right...not groove.

The title track, Body Over Mind, is funky but it just doesn't seem to go anywhere to me. The most complete track to me is the one that Boosty is on (The title escapes me at the moment). That's just me. You or someone else may feel differently about Freek.

there is a simple funk test. bite into 5 lemons and take a pic of your face...you should have a: oh my god that was sour / ugggh gross look on your face. then take a pic listening to various bands you think are funky...if you don't make that face...it's not funky.

[kazuhank]

Seattle-based funk: http://www.maktub.com/

Ebozz--These guys are always on tour and probably go through Denver.

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by ebozzz

Being the Funk lover that I am, I constantly try to find new artists that bring it. Most of the time I am terribly disappointed but I do occasionally find a group/individual that's decent. My most recent find is Waltz of a Ghetto Fly by Amp Fiddler which I feel is pretty good even though most of it is keyboard bass. Other than that one, I'm at a loss. Sombody help me out. Post some discs that I need to check out. Is Da Funk going to be lost?

As far as it being played on the radio? Yeah, I think it's a done deal but funk is alive and well!! A lot of the old bands are still gigging and there are always new bands coming along that keep the supply of funk going. A lot of the funk has evolved into contemporary jazz (not that smooth jazz crap). Lots of funk bassists are playing in CJ style bands. Check out Gerald Albright's cd's! Nothing but funk there! Waymon Tisdale is keeping the funk alive as is Marcus Miller. Spyro Gyra can always lay down the funk! Tunes like 'Nothing To Lose' or 'The Deep End'! Scott Ambush oozes funk!