If you asked a hip-hop expert what the main differences between East Coast and West Coast rap were in the late '80s and '90s, you would have likely heard the following generalization: West Coast rappers were about beats and messages, while the East Coast was about rapping technique, flow, and rhyming style. There is some truth to that generalization, but like other generalizations, that East Coast/West Coast scenario was a case of patterns and trends rather than hard rules that could never be bent or broken -- the problem with musical generalizations is that there are usually a lot of exceptions that have to be taken into account. Because they favored a jazzy alternative rap sound and made rhyming technique a high priority, Five Fingers of Funk were usually compared to New York and Philadelphia artists in the '90s. But Pete Miser's group was from Portland, OR, and there isn't the slightest hint of gangsta rap or G-funk on About Time -- this 1998 release brings to mind Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Jungle Brothers, not Snoop Dogg or Warren G. While there are some parallels between About Time and Miser's solo output, the two are not identical. Fingers have the strong Native Tongues influence that Miser's solo recordings are known for, but with a less produced sound and punchy horn arrangements that owe a lot to '70s funk. About Time, you see, is the work of a hip-hop band -- not just a group, but a real band with trumpet, sax, trombone, electric bass, percussion, and real drums (as opposed to simply drum machines). Miser's rapping and DJ Chill's turntable work are surrounded by live instruments, and that separates About Time from most of 1998's hip-hop efforts. Alt-rap enthusiasts are advised to give this CD a close listen. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Initially a funky instrumental soul combo on Stax/Volt, the Bar-Kays were nearly destroyed when most of the band perished in the same plane crash that claimed Otis Redding. Amazingly, the Bar-Kays not only regrouped but prospered, evolving into a popular funk ensemble over the course of the '70s. They continued to score hits on the R&B charts through much of the '80s as well, making for a career longevity that no one would have predicted for Stax's formerly star-crossed number-two house band. The Bar-Kays were formed in Memphis, TN, in 1966, growing out of a local group dubbed the Imperials. Modeled on classic Memphis soul instrumental outfits like the Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MG's, the Bar-Kays originally included guitarist Jimmy King (not the famed bluesman), trumpeter Ben Cauley, organist Ronnie Caldwell, saxophonist Phalon Jones, bassist James Alexander, and drummer Carl Cunningham. Adopting a mutated version of their favorite brand of rum (Bacardi) as their name, the band started playing heavily around Memphis, and eventually caught the attention of Stax/Volt, which signed the sextet in early 1967. With help from house drummer Al Jackson, Jr., the label began grooming the Bar-Kays as a second studio backing group that would spell Booker T. & the MG's on occasion. That spring, the Bar-Kays cut their first single, "Soul Finger," a playful, party-hearty instrumental punctuated by a group of neighborhood children shouting the title. "Soul Finger" reached the pop Top 20 and went all the way to number three on the R&B chart, establishing the Bar-Kays in the public eye (although the follow-up, "Give Everybody Some," barely scraped the R&B Top 40). Producer Allen Jones began to take an interest in the group and became their manager and mentor; even better, Otis Redding chose them as his regular backing band that summer. Unfortunately, disaster struck on December 10, 1967. En route to a gig in Madison, WI, Redding's plane crashed into frozen Lake Monona. He, his road manager, and four members of the Bar-Kays were killed. Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash, and bassist James Alexander had not been on the flight; they soon assumed the heavy task of rebuilding the group. Adding insult to injury, the third and final single released by the original lineup, a cover of the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night," was virtually ignored. Nonetheless, with Allen Jones' help, Cauley and Alexander assembled a new Bar-Kays lineup featuring guitarist Michael Toles, keyboardist Ronnie Gordon, saxophonist Harvey Henderson, and drummers Roy Cunningham and Willie Hall. At first, their sound was similar to the original lineup, and they were used as the house band on numerous Stax/Volt recording sessions; they also backed Isaac Hayes on his groundbreaking 1969 opus Hot Buttered Soul. Still, they were unable to land a hit of their own, and Cunningham and Gordon both left the group in 1970; the latter was replaced on keyboards by Winston Stewart. With 1971's Black Rock album, the Bar-Kays debuted their first-ever lead vocalist, Larry Dodson, and incorporated some of the psychedelic-inspired rock/funk fusions of Sly & the Family Stone and Funkadelic. After playing on Isaac Hayes' hit Shaft soundtrack, Cauley and Toles both joined his backing band permanently, and were replaced by trumpeter Charles "Scoop" Allen and guitarist Vernon Burch. This new lineup took a more mainstream funk direction, scoring a minor hit with a takeoff on Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" dubbed "Copy Cat." The follow-up, another good-humored goof on a recent hit, was "Son of Shaft," which in 1972 became the group's first Top Ten R&B hit since "Soul Finger." That summer, the Bar-Kays played a well-received set at Wattstax (the black answer to Woodstock), but it wasn't enough to keep their commercial momentum going, especially as Stax/Volt headed toward eventual bankruptcy in 1975. Armed with new guitarist Lloyd Smith (who'd joined when Burch left in 1973), new drummer Michael Beard, and trombonist Frank Thompson, the Bar-Kays signed with Mercury in 1976 and began the most commercially productive phase of their career. Writing most of their own material and using more synthesizers, their label debut, Too Hot to Stop, was a hit, powered by the smash R&B single "Shake Your Rump to the Funk." The group consolidated their success by opening for George Clinton's P-Funk machine on an extensive tour, and that loose, wild aesthetic was now a more accurate reflection of the Bar-Kays' brand of funk, although they were more easily able to bridge into disco. Follow-up Flying High on Your Love (1977) was the band's first gold record, and Money Talks -- a Fantasy reissue of some previously unreleased Stax material -- produced another Top Ten hit in "Holy Ghost" the following year. Drummer Sherman Guy and keyboardist Mark Bynum subsequently joined the band, and a string of hit albums followed: 1979's Injoy (which featured the Top Five R&B hit "Move Your Boogie Body"), 1980's As One, 1981's Nightcruising (which spawned two hits in "Hit and Run" and "Freaky Behavior"), and 1982's Propositions (more hits in "Do It (Let Me See You Shake)" and "She Talks to Me With Her Body"). All of those albums, save for As One, went gold. In 1983, Sherman Guy and Charles Allen left the group, presaging a more commercial direction in keeping with the urban sound of the early '80s. 1984's Dangerous produced one of the group's biggest hits, "Freakshow on the Dancefloor," and a couple more R&B chart hits in "Dirty Dancer" and "Sex-O-Matic." Their sound was becoming derivative, however, and although the group kept recording for Mercury through 1989, the changing musical landscape meant that the hits dried up. By 1987, only Larry Dodson, Harvey Henderson, and Winston Stewart remained; that same year, Allen Jones died of a heart attack, and the group scored its last R&B Top Ten hit with "Certified True." When their contract with Mercury was up, the Bar-Kays called it quits with 1988's Animal. Dodson and original bassist James Alexander put together a short-lived new version of the Bar-Kays for the 1994 album 48 Hours, released on the small Basix label. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide


Original albums
Year Title
1967 Soul Finger
1969 Gotta Groove
1971 Black Rock
1972 (Various artists) Wattstax-The Living Word
1973 Do You See What I See?
1974 Cold Blooded
1976 Too Hot To Stop
1978 Flying High On Your Love
1978 Money Talks
1978 Light Of Life
1979 Injoy
1980 As One
1981 Nightcruising
1982 Propositions
1984 Dangerous
1985 Banging The Wall
1987 Contagious
1989 Animal
1994 48 Hours
1996 Best Of Bar-Kays
1998 Greatest Hits (Dominion)
2007 House Party

CD Re-issues
Year Title
1992 Soul Finger
1990 Gotta Groove/Black Rock
1996 Do You See What I See?
1996 Too Hot To Stop
1992 Money Talks
1996 Flying High On Your Love
2003 Propositions

CD Compilations
Year Title

1989 Attitudes
1992 The Best Of The Bar-Kays (Volt)
1993 The Best of Bar-Kays (Mercury)
1996 The Best of Bar-Kays Vol. 2 (Mercury)
1998 The Ballads Collection (PolyGram)

Ando
Mars Volta has no relations to funk, really )))
Progressive maybe, not funk at all...
Interesting band, but vocal parts turn me to teethache...

I got a Liquid Soul album and Bullfrog w/Kid Koala. Are those "acid jazz"?

They're fine for something upbeat without lyrics every once in a while, but not an essential listening experience for me.

(EDIT: This thread title is a bit too wide ranging, methinks...)

I got a cheap budget comp called "100% Funk" with some obligatory Dazz Band, Rick James, Kool & the Gang hits...but I really should get some Funkadelic...Maggot Brain is an essential, right?

Ibrahim Electric is a Danish band situated primarily in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ibrahim Electric are widely famous in Denmark for their experimental music, many genres, including jazz, funk, afro-beat, surf and many more. The band members are Niclas Knudsen (guitar), Stefan Pasborg (drums) and Jeppe Tuxen (Hammond B-3) In 2005 they recorded a live CD with trombonist Ray Anderson at Copenhagen Jazzhouse, and repeated the success in 2007 with the CD "Ibrahim Electric Meets Ray Anderson - Again

The Menahan Street Band is a collaboration of musicians from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (Dave Guy, Homer Steinweiss, Fernando Velez, Bosco Mann), El Michels Affair (Leon Michels, Toby Pazner), Antibalas (Nick Movshon, Aaron Johnson) and the Budos Band (Mike Deller, Daniel Fodder), brought together by musician/producer Thomas Brenneck (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Budos Band, Amy Winehouse) to record hits in the bedroom of his Menahan St. apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn. With influences reaching beyond the funk/soul/afrobeat architecture of their other projects into the more ethereal realms of Curtis Mayfield and Mulatu Astatke, the Menahan Street Band creates a unique new instrumental soul sound that is as raw as it is lush. Their debut album, Make the Road by Walking will be released on Dunham Records, Brenneck’s new imprint of Daptone Records, a joint venture devoted to bringing the Menahan Street sound from Brenneck’s bedroom out into the world. The album is marked by eerily quirky arrangements, featuring vibes, horns, piano, organ, percussion and even a strange bling sound that Brenneck creates by tuning and plucking the strings of his guitar on the wrong side of the bridge. However, it is not the textures themselves that make the new sound of Menahan Street so exciting, but rather the way the sounds are incorporated into the heavy rhythms and bold melodies of the compositions.

The title of the album was inspired both by the eponymous community center below Brenneck’s apartment and the natural rhythm that has continued to move this project forward. Shortly after its release as Dunham’s debut 45rpm single, the song “Make the Road by Walking” was sampled by fellow Brooklynite Jay-Z for his smash hit from American Gangster, “Roc Boys (and the Winner is…)” (later declared by Rolling Stone to be the No. 1 single of 2007).

Make the Road by Walking is a soulful exploration by a talented young group of musicians into the possibilities of instrumental music; an original, personal, and uncompromised creation that embodies the sound of a select group of musicians in one distinct place, at one particular moment in time. “This album is kind of a window into our world on Menahan Street,” says Brenneck. “In a way, we’re simply the street’s unofficial house band.”

The song "Make the Road by Walking" is named after a membership-based organization named "Make the Road by Walking" which is located around the corner from Menahan Street (on Grove Street) which promotes social and economic justice for community, through organizing, lawyering and numerous forms of advocacy.

Garaj Mahal is a four piece band, based in the United States, playing a fusion of jazz, Indian music, rock, and especially funk: Kai Eckhardt (bass), Fareed Haque (guitars), Alan Hertz (drums), and Eric Levy (keys). The band was formed in 2000 with the largely fulfilled expectation that the technical virtuosity each band member has been known for would bring about great music. They are one of the modern mid to low-profile bands that allow their music to be recorded live at shows, and distributed in torrents, and musical archives

Protege to funk-bass pioneer Bootsy Collins, fellow Cincinnati native
Chris "Freekbass" Sherman and his band have inherited the Buckeye
State's funk flag. Recorded live at the 20th Century Theatre in
Cincinnati, Grooveyard is just that - a wide-open space full of dance-
inducing, hard-hitting and sweaty electronic funk that listeners can
let their ears run wild and get lost in!

San Diego Music Award Winners for Best Jazz Album (2007), ON THE ONE walks alongside live acts Karl Denson Trio and the Greyboy All-Stars when it comes to export music from America's finest city. With their debut album “Love Addiction” recently picked up by the legendary Japanese label, P-Vine, through a licensing deal with Velour (Soulive / Lettuce), 2008 will see ON THE ONE touring North America and the Far East in support of their record. Drum King John Staten (Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe) teamed up with long time friend and sax aficionado Jesse Molloy (Giant People) to create ON THE ONE in the summer of ‘06. Bassist Andy Irvine (Giant People) and the addition of guitarist Pete Lombardo square this funky soul rock quartet. With music industry heavy hitters calling him one of the best drummers in the business, Staten’s hard hitting hip-hop beats drive ON THE ONE’s sound. Sax, groove bass, and effortless guitar team up to bring generations of music lovers to the dance floor. Don’t miss the Funkdown.

Hailing from Brighton, The Grits emerge with their own take on raw, rare
and grimy instrumental funk. Their journey began in 2005 with guitarist
Stuart ''Countryboy'' Carter and Nick ''The Organiser'' Harris. Bassist
James and drummer Johnny were recruited soon after, marking the birth of
one seriously slick funk four piece.
Their self titled debut includes a superb cover of The Soul Drifters
'Funky Soul Brother', as well as 'Boom Boom', the sold out 45 released
on Freestyle and its B side 'Jan Jan' - an instant raw funk classic
championed by Radio 2's Mark Lamarr and Radio 6 funkster Craig Charles.
With their roots firmly steeped in classic funk, The Grits add their own
slant with trashy guitars, crunchy drums and deep bass. Add to this
super-modulated Moog, a bag of percussion and their trademark guttural
vocal grunts and you have a live show that never fails to work their
live audiences into a funk frenzy.
On record, The Grits manage to keep the rawness alive, whilst upping the
stakes sonically with modular analogue synths, piano, harmonica and even
a huge metal cabinet played with a stick!

Funk Off is an Italian jazz band that are also, uniquely, a marching band that call themselves the Funky Marching Jazz Band!!! The band came onto the scene 1998, brought together by saxophonist and 'main man', Dario Cecchini. And since then ... Full Descriptionhave played over 400 street/piazza festivals and on some great stages, including Umbria Jazz, Montreux Jazz, etc. They have even opened for the great James Brown, so their funk credentials have the seal of approval from the maestro. Street or marching bands have a long and illustrious history in Italy, having been an important part of their culture for years. They even had a part to play in the establishment of trade unions and the communist movement when factory workers got together to play and organise themselves. Funk Off are the biggest and best exponents of this extraordinary slice of Italian life. Blue Note. 2007.