Acclaimed pianist and organist Bobby Lyle cooked up some wicked jazz-funk on his 1978 song “Groove (Ain’t No Doubt About it).” The funk level on this cut is through the roof. Bass titan Nathaniel Philips lays down some extra-nasty bottom, and Lyle electrifies the groove with his incredible synth work. Harvey Mason brings the funk with a scorching beat. And Paulinho da Costa fires up the groove with some sizzling percussion. “Groove (Ain’t No Doubt About It)” is a track from Lyle’s third album New Warrior, released on Capitol Records in 1978. It was written by Lyle, Mason and trombonist/produ ..read more

New Zealand-born singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kimbra gets down and dirty on her funky track “LA Type.” The two-time Grammy-winning artist has dipped her toes into funk before but nothing quite as audaciously funky as this cut. She even brought in groovemaster and drummer extraordinaire Questlove to maximize the funk. He contributes a monstrous beat that’s complemented by Spencer Zahn’s nasty bass line. The funk is further deepened by some electrifying keyboard work from Taylor Graves. And Kimbra delivers a dynamic vocal performance that’s full of attitude and sultry s ..read more

The Isley Brothers had been in the music game for more than 20 years when they dropped their fifteenth studio album Go For Your Guns in 1977. By the end of the ‘60s, the band had adopted a more funk-based sound, and they had recently added hard rock to their sonic palette. Go For Your Guns offers an exciting mix of funk, R&B and rock. The LP showcases the band’s formidable musical, songwriting and production abilities.  The album kicks off with the powerhouse funk track “The Pride (Part 1 & 2)." This super-charged groove was bumped at parties and clubs everywhere back in the day ..read more

This rousing funk classic could be heard blasting out of car stereos everywhere back in 1973, and it had folks setting dance floors ablaze from DC to Oakland. It’s one of the great feel-good party jams of the ‘70s. The Godfather of Soul and his superbad groove battalion the J.B.'s unleash an avalanche of funk on this bumpin’ track. It’s anchored by a wicked bass line and a hot beat. The track also features some killer rhythm guitar licks and an incredible horn arrangement. The J.B.’s’ bandleader and musical director Fred Wesley delivers a fantastic trombone solo, and horn legend Maceo Parker ..read more

This sweet slice of Motown soul was an early Stevie Wonder classic that was released when he was still in his teens in 1967. The 17-year-old wunderkind brings tons of soul and conviction to his sterling vocal performance. His harmonica playing at the intro is also topflight. The song is masterfully arranged and boasts an infectious melody. And James Jamerson takes the song to a whole other level with his brilliant bass work. It’s truly a joy to listen to Jamerson work his bass magic on this track. The smooth, effortless finesse he always brought to his playing was unparalleled.  Stevie w ..read more

“Everybody Is a Star” is a gorgeous psychedelic-soul ballad that Sly & the Family Stone released in December of 1969. The song’s message is that we are all equal, and every individual has inherent worth, no matter what their social station, income level, race, religion or ethnicity; and also that people should remain true to themselves and not try to change who they are to conform to what society or the powers that be tell them they should be: “I love you for who you are/Not the one you feel you need to be.” The vocals on this track are absolutely stunning. Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Larry ..read more

Cool Cool Cool is a talented group of musicians who have been creating quite a buzz recently with their exciting live shows and unique brand of funk, house and R&B. Formed in 2022, the septet is composed of former members of the funk band Turkuaz. After working with Turkuaz for more than a decade, they decided to form their own band. They had developed a strong musical synergy after working together all those years in a variety of settings–from international festival stages to dive bars. And they have brought that chemistry to Cool Cool Cool. The band released their debut single “Never No ..read more

Chic were one of the premier disco acts in the world during the late ‘70s. Led by guitarist Nile Rodgers bassist Bernard Edwards, the band dominated the airwaves and filled dance floors across the globe with their thrilling brand of R&B, disco and funk. Chic cultivated their own singular sound–adding a dash of sophistication and class to their dance grooves–that distinguished them from other bands. Hits like “Good Times” and “Le Freak” are era-defining classics that still get a lot of play to this day. And in addition to the hits that everyone is familiar with, the band has some great und ..read more

1977 was a banner year for funk and R&B music. That year, Parliament, the Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire released albums that rank among their best works. ‘77 also saw a slew of other great releases from major funk acts such as Brick, Cameo, The Commodores, Slave and the Brothers Johnson. Bootsy Collins’ second album, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!, was another excellent funk release that year. He set the music world on fire the year before with his fantastic debut album Stretchin’ Out In a Rubber Band, which received tons of love from funk fans and music critics. Incredibly ..read more

After electrifying the ‘70s with his powerful sonic brew of glam rock, protopunk, blue-eyed soul, post punk and art rock, music chameleon David Bowie kicked off the ‘80s with a bang with Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), released in September of 1980. The album’s lead single is the brilliant “Ashes to Ashes,” which continues fictional astronaut Major Tom’s saga that began with Bowie’s 1969 classic “Space Oddity.” The second single is the high-voltage funk/dance attack “Fashion.” Bowie had previously shown his attested funk credentials on tracks like "Golden Years” and “Fame,” so it’s not s ..read more