MetaFilter posts tagged with funk

From Cold Sweat to the Mothership, Ain't It Funky

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:44:09 -0800

Ain't It Funky is a BBC-produced documentary from 2005 with lots of great performance footage and interviews, as well as period footage from the civil rights era for some historical perspective. James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and many of their key sidemen are featured. Highly recommended. part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. These same YT clips can also be found all together, embedded at Funk Deli. NOTE: Unfortunately, the audio and video are slightly out of sync on part 1. Parts 2 through 8 lock up just fine, though.

James Jamerson: Motown's Secret Weapon

edverb — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:28:54 -0800

"[James] Jamerson terrified bassists all over the world. Still does." The original Motown hit machine dominated popular music between 1959 and 1971, making household names out of Stevie Wonder, the Jacksons, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and many others. Their secret sauce was a tight knit group of musicians called the Funk Brothers. Uncredited until Marvin Gaye's 1971 LP "What's Going On", these musicians provided the backing instrumentation on over 100 hit songs, gracing the charts more than Elvis, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys combined. The soul sound of Motown was driven largely by its innovative bass playing, and that playing was provided largely by the unheralded James Jamerson. A definitive Jamerson bio reads:

Motown's tormented genius, James Jamerson is unanimously acclaimed as the first virtuoso of the electric bass. Plagued by alcoholism and emotional problems throughout his career, James has influenced (whether they know it or not) every electric bassist to ever pick up the instrument. Arriving at Motown in 1959, James' bass playing evolved over the next decade from a traditional root-fifth cocktail style of bass playing into an astonishing new style built upon a flurry of sixteenth-note runs and syncopations, "pushing the envelope" dissonances, and fearless and constant exploration. A converted upright bass player with bear claw hands, James plucked the strings with only the index finger of his right hand (which he dubbed "The Hook), and effortlessly and routinely pulled off head-turning, technical feats on the '62 P-Bass he nicknamed "The Funk Machine." His explosive, earthquake-heavy bass lines have had the entire world dancing and grooving to Motown records for over four decades. But he labored in total obscurity - a condition that ate at him throughout the last years of his life.

After Hitsville in Detroit was abruptly closed and Motown relocated to Los Angeles, Jamerson spiraled downward into alcoholism, lack of steady work, and deteriorating health. He passed away in 1983, unknown and nearly destitute. Fast forward to the 21st century. After being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and with his memory looming large over the documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" (previously), the once-anonymous genius Jamerson received some long overdue (sadly, posthumous) recognition. The Funk Brothers have even won a number of Grammys in their own right. The full scope of Jamerson's discography is still being compiled, thanks to exhaustive research, recently discovered documents, and recollections of family and Hitstown USA denizens. Another key piece of the Jamerson puzzle yet to be found is the aforementioned Funk Machine, Jamerson's stock 1962 Fender Precision Bass, stolen from his Los Angeles apartment just days before Jamerson's death. Fender Musical Instruments has offered a no-questions-asked reward for its return. Enjoy isolated tracks of James Jamerson's bass playing from Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", on the Temptations "You're My Everything", and be sure to check out master bassist Rick Suchow's archive of isolated Jamerson brilliance. (though you'll have to contact Rick for a password.)

Soviet Jazz

StrikeTheViol — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:54:48 -0800

When people think of Soviet culture in the Stalin era, jazz usually isn't the first music to come to mind. But it was there, and some of it was pretty good, whether adapting Western standards, partying with a Russian twist, or just being adventurous. If that's a little too old-school for you, try some Soviet funk.

Blacula is Dracula's Soul Brother

burnmp3s — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:22:19 -0800

Shaft was so cool that he had his own theme song. Shaft walked across the street whenever he wanted to. Shaft was a complicated man. But not all Blaxploitation heros were Private Dicks. They could be a Pimp, a Power-Hungry Criminal, a Coke Dealer, or a Male Prostitute. One was a Former Green Beret, one was a Bounty Hunter, and one was a Prize Fighter. Some were Foxy Ladies, such as Vigilante Nurses, US Special Agents, or Escaped Convicts. They might even be a Karate Master or a Vampire. The stars of the Blaxploitation era, among them Richard Rountree, Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Kelly, William Marshall, Tamara Dobson, Rudy Ray Moore, Jim Brown, and Ron O'Neal, were some of the first legitimate black film stars. They came after the first major black film actor, Sidney Poitier, and before later stars like Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy. When the era ended in the mid 1970s, so did most of their careers. Although many stayed in show business as actors, none found many significant starring roles in later films. One of the most distinctive characteristics of the genre is the music. Other than Isaac Haye's theme to Shaft, Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack is probably the most famous. Other major artists such as James Brown and Marvin Gaye wrote soundtracks too. In fact, nearly every Blaxploitation film had a decent soundtrack. The Blaxploitation genre itself lasted only a few years. Since then, there have been many parodies, in the form of brutal satire, nostalgic throwbacks, modern genre spoofs, or random pop-culture references. Quentin Taratino is probably the most vocal advocate of Blaxsploitation films, going as far as to cast Pam Grier as the lead in Jackie Brown. John Singleton also directed a "remake" of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson, but his version managed to drain all of the charm and groove out of the original. Although some recognize the political statements that the films made, and the subtle impact that they made to today's culture, as a whole the Blaxploitation films continue to get no respect.

Beats The Hell Out of The Neutron Dance

StopMakingSense — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:01:05 -0800

The Pointer Sisters rehearse. So imagine how they sound with an audience.

Orchestral Maneuvers in the dAKAH

mikoroshi — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:00:13 -0800

In LA, a 63 (70!)-piece orchestra blends the styles of Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington with hip-hop, European classical music, and free jazz. Spend some time with the dAKAH Orchestra and it's founder Geoff "Double G" Gallegos.

Hey! Fred Milton is still SO #1! Wow!

not_on_display — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:39:43 -0800

Lynda ! Barry ! Is ! Funk ! Queen ! Of ! Every ! Thing !

Wardell Quezergue: The Creole Beethoven

y2karl — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:10:43 -0800

Regarding the 'Creole Beethoven' Wardell Quezergue, composer, arranger, big band leader, master of Second Line funk, who brought us Earl King's Trick Bag, the Dixie Cups' Iko Iko and Chapel of Love, King FLoyd's Groove Me, Baby, Jean Knight's Mr. Big Stuff to name but a few--not to mention A Creole Mass--and who, later in life, survived Katrina, to become, among other things of late, according to Home of the Groove's Quezergue Onstage and Behind The Scenes, a street performer in the French Quarter. His is a name that ought not be forgotten. See also The Birth Of A Platinum Seller and Recording: Interviews » King Floyd's "Groove Me" And now a lagniappe of Quezergue arranged and conducted YouTubers: The Dixie Cups - Chapel Of Love Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff Live 1972 Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff King Floyd - Groove Me The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - One O'Clock Jump The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Caldonia The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Take Me Back Baby The Clarence Gatemouth Brown Big Band - Jumpin The Blues

Kuduro

billtron — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:54:24 -0800

There was a time when it seemed that groups like Frederic Galliano presents Kuduro Sound System and Buraka Som Sistema would do for kuduro what groups like Diplo and Bonde do Role did for Funk Carioca: make it popular with hipsters in the United States. But it hasn't happened yet. Why?

Six Great Apples

KevinSkomsvold — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:04:36 -0800

Think the Osmond Brothers didn't rock? Think again. "In spite of their squeaky clean image, the Osmonds had a soulful, sometimes raucous sound which was a precursor of the power pop of later years." Color my preconceived notions shattered.