Various Artists -][- BGP Presents Jazz Funk [BGP | Beat Goes Public, 2012]

Tags

African American, Azar Lawrence, Blackbyrds, Charles Earland, Funk, Jay Hoggard, Jazz, Patrice Rushen, Stanley Cowell

VA, BGP Presents Jazz Funk (Import)

Various Artists -][- BGP Presents Jazz Funk [BGP | Beat Goes Public, 2012]

As the 1970s moved into the 80s, jazz funk was the UK club music of choice. It was a catch-all term that covered funk-flavored jazz, boogie soul and a healthy dose of latin flavors. Fantasy Records were one of the most important players and their labels provided a steady stream of dance-floor winners across all of these styles. In this CD we tell the history of the music through the records that they released.

George Duke Revisits The Sounds Of The Golden Age Of Funk And Soul On Déjà Vu

Tags

African American, Funk, George Duke, Keyboards, Piano

George Duke | Déjà Vu – [BPM/Heads Up International, 2010]

Features guest performances by trumpeter Nicholas Payton, flutist Hubert Laws and saxophonist Bob Sheppard

George Duke - DejaVu

When keyboardist-composer-producer George Duke made a return trip to the heyday of funk on his 2008 recording, Dukey Treats, he reminded his fans and the music press of exactly what made the good old stuff so good. DownBeat called it “a wild and crazy album, especially if you’re nostalgic about the guitar-scratching, double-clutching rhythms of James Brown and George Clinton and the bedroom ballads of Stevie Wonder and Aaron Neville.” The Philadephia Enquirer called it simply “a valentine to funk.”

Duke returns to that same wellspring for Déjà Vu, his new recording on BPM/Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. Set for release on August 10, 2010, the album revisits the synthesizer sound that characterized some of his most memorable recordings from the golden age of funk and soul.

Trombone Shorty | Backatown (4/20/2010)

Tags

African American, Funk, Jazz, Male Vocals, Trombone, Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty - Backatown

.:|:. About: Trombone Shorty

In 2010 alone, 24-year-old New Orleans singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical powerhouse Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has signed with Verve Forecast Records and performed on Good Morning America and ESPN’s SportsCenter in the run-up to the Super Bowl. He has seen recordings he contributed to earn a Grammy® award (Buckwheat Zydeco’s “Lay Your Burden Down”) and an Oscar® nomination (Dr. John’s “Down In New Orleans” from the hit Disney film ‘The Princess and the Frog’). He has taped two appearances – as himself – for the upcoming HBO series ‘Treme’ from ‘The Wire’ creator David Simon, and played with his band Orleans Avenue as honored guests on Saints owner Tom Benson’s float in a victorious post-Super Bowl Mardi Gras parade.

John Patitucci | Another World

Tags

Bass, Bassist, Funk, John Patitucci, World Music

John Patitucci | Another World – [GRP Records, 1994] – Music Review | Revisited

John Patitucci, Another World

A phenomenal young bassist named John Patitucci recorded and released an exhilarating project titled Another World back in 1993 on GRP Records. Yeah, you probably know him as the bassist for the Chick Corea Electric Band. As usual, John surrounds himself with the cream of the crop talent most notably keyboardist John Beasley, the legendary Michael Brecker, Jeff Beal on trumpet and the comparable Any Narell on the steel drums.

It’s evident, Another World could be considered a more adventurous outing for Patitucci which was a rare recording from GRP. After all, the label concentrated most of their resources on a more palatable listener friendly releases. Perhaps, like me, you’ll discover Another World positioned itself well within range of a world jazz fusion style of music. Either way, this project is more then qualified to take you the listener on a fascinating musical safari that blends odd-metered tempos, funk and other appetizing ingredients that are usually immersed in international recordings which is rare even in today’s terms.

Another World is probably one of the best overall offerings by the supreme acoustic and electric bassist John Patitucci. Unfortunately, this jewel might be a little difficult to find. However, it’s worth the price to discover the intricacies embedded in this diamond in the ruff. ~ The Urban Flux

Jason Lindner | Now vs. Now

Tags

Funk, Jason Lindner, Keyboards, Piano, Poetry

Jason Lindner | Now vs. Now – [ANZIC RECORDS, 2009]

Jason Lindner, Now vs. Now

“Jason Lindner is a musical universe.” – Chick Corea

Produced by Meshell Ndegeocello and mixed by Bob Power (The Roots, Erika Badu), this is the debut recording of innovative keyboardist and composer Jason Lindner’s Now Vs. Now.

This explosive trio (with Mark Guiliana on drums and Panagiotis Andreou on bass) seamlessly melds Funk, Rock and Jazz into a simmering cosmic groove driven by the poetry and rhythms of New York.

Featuring performances by beatboxer/emcee Baba Israel, Avishai Cohen, Pedrito Martinez, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Anat Cohen, Yosvany Terry and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Source: Amazon.com

Please visit, the multi-facet Jason Lindner’s web site for more details about this fascinating piano virtuoso.

Fiveforgroove | Self-Titled

Tags

Funk, Saxophone

Fiveforgroove | Self-titled – [NEW TEAM MUSIC, 2009]

Fiveforgroove

Fiveforgroove project combines five young and talented musicians performing instrumental funky/jazz music with fusion contamination. Perfect balance between their musical taste and the groove.

Taste for the sound, well-balanced arrangements and skilled performances mark the repertoire of Fiveforgroove project, that combines five young and talented musicians performing instrumental funky/jazz music with fusion contaminates. Perfect balance between their musical taste and the groove.

Source: CDBaby.com

Lonnie Plaxico | Westside Stories

Tags

African American, Bass, Cassandra Wilson, Funk

Lonnie Plaxico | Westside Stories – [Plaxmusic, 2006]

Lonnie Plaxico, Westside Stories

LONNIE PLAXICO Bassist, Composer, Producer the middle child in a family of musicians, Chicago-born Lonnie Plaxico inherited a gift for music that was discovered and nurtured early. By the age of twelve he had taught himself to play the electric bass, and he was soon venturing into Chicago’s music scene, renowned for its mix of jazz, funk and blues. It was not long before the young musician made his first recording, featuring his family’s band. At the age of fourteen, having already performed alongside several prominent Chicago jazz figures, Lonnie Plaxico turned professional, playing the electric and acoustic basses with equal facility.

In 1980 Plaxico moved to New York and soon began to appear with such artists as Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon and Wynton Marsalis. His first extended tenure was with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: between1983 and 1986, Lonnie performed on twelve of Blakey’s albums, including the Grammy Award-winning, New York Scene.

Source: CDBaby.com

Urban Elements | New Dimensions

Tags

Funk, Jazz, Latin Jazz

Urban Elements | New Dimensions – [Connective Records, 2008]

Urban Elements

Urban Elements, The vanguard of young jazz musicians from two continents are getting down to business in the eclectic new group Urban Elements. The collaboration between the most up-and-coming players from Chile/South America and Sweden/Europe creates new flavours of modern jazz in a mixture of hardcore be-bop, organic fusion, Latin-jazz, funk and contemporary grooves. The musicians express themselves freely and with extraordinary technique and swing. The musical conversation in the group is on the highest level and the music sparks of fire and drags the listeners in to new dimensions of musical landscapes.

The material is written by Swedish stellar saxophonist Fredrik Kronkvist and the prolific Chilean trumpeter Sebastian Jordan with a strong foundation from vast vinyl-collections and fresh visions into the future. Drummer Felix Lecaros has a unique swing and playfulness that leaves you breathless and pushes the band in forward motion together with bassist Rene Sandoval and pianist Martin Sjöstedt.

Check out this burning new band and get amazed by the flow of new contemporary jazz.

Source: Myspace.com

Bakithi Kumalo | Transmigration

Tags

African, Bass, Funk, Jazz

“While we’re only six years into it, ‘Transmigration‘ may very well be the most important jazz album of the 21st century thus far.” —Ray Ellis –

Bakithi Kumalo | Transmigration – [Bakithi Kumalo Music, 2007]

Bakithi Kumalo, Transmigration

A native of Soweto Township outside Johannesburg, South Africa, Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon’s “Graceland“) creates a singular electric fretless bass sound that teems with double stops that sound like human voices and the African grooves of his homeland and has garnered him a stellar reputation as a sideman.

In addition to touring with Simon on his current North American tour, he’s also recorded and/or toured with the likes of Gloria Estefan, Chaka Khan, Harry Belafonte, Gerald Albright, Miriam Makeba, Josh Groban and Chris Botti. Kumalo breaks fertile new ground with his latest CD, ‘Transmigration,’ on Guru Project.

Source: CDBaby.com

Gemini Soul | Dark Skin Babies: The Movement

Tags

African American, Andre Ajamu Akinyele, Bassist, Funk

Gemini Soul | Dark Skin Babies: The Movement [Pearl Jazz Recording Label, 2009]

Gemini Soul, Dark Skin

Gemini Soul’s double CD Dark Skin Babies: The Movement is a mind-blowing mixture of experimental jazz funk-fusion. Gemini Soul delivers a brand new sound with this double CD. Musically influenced by the 70’s jazz fusion explosion and inspired by artists such as Herbie Hancock, Return To Forever, MeShell Ndegeocello and Parliament-Funkadelic.

Dark Skin Babies: The Movement from Gemini Soul is a two CD set, which contains 20 tracks of non-stoppable experimental jazz funk-fusion at its best. Dark Skin Babies : The Movement is the follow-up to their 2008 release The Nefertiti Xperience. With all songs produced, arranged and composed by Andre Ajamu Akinyele, bandleader and bassist, this marks as their fifth album. This is Gemini Soul’s most political and social conscience collection to date.