What is funk? Nothing less than a common
denominator between jazz, rhythm & blues, classic soul, and
rap, as well as an often outrageous, always infectious province
of urban music throughout the second half of this century. If
post-bop jazz offered the first launching pad for funk's deep
grooves, it's the long shadows of funk godfather James Brown and
his principal inheritor, George Clinton, that have cast the greatest
influence. Extended dance/trance jams propelled by air-tight rhythm
sections, staccato horns, and taut guitar and keyboard riffs are
musical signatures, but it's the high spirits and earthy physicality
of funk that prove equally vital to explaining the music's underlying
attitude. Explore these funk essentials for music that can wind
you up.
