What is interesting is that there are plenty of other styles of music that have their modern day practicioners that are really good. Take Jazz, for example...you have great artists like Wynton Marsalis who would have been right there with the best of the original artists in the older days. Country? You have great artists like Junior Brown and George Straight, Brad Paisley and others.
But strangely, Funk seems to be really lacking in that respect. Seems like by 1984, it had pretry much disappeared, soon to be replaced by hip hop as the dominant black style.
Unfortunate, because Funk was good music played by real musicians with a whole mess of talent!
Last year, my band played at a venue that Chicago and EWF were playing at. As a result, after our set we were given choice tickets (right next to the mixing board).
Phillip Bailey was like, the best singer I have ever seen live. No auto tune, no tricks, just incredible singing. His voice could go from angelic falsetto highs to baritone lows at light speed. The man had total control of what he was doing.
Frankly, the band still rocks. Lucky for us several of these bands are still performing, even creating new music.
You can search youtube, but there is a clip of Steve Arrington, showing what he is doing now. Its religions music, of course....but still funky and the track I heard could easily have been on the Hall of Fame album.
oh, here it is:
