Category Archives: Funk

Bill Laswell – Upright Man (1983)

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by 1980s, Funk • Tags: , , , , , ,

“Even though Bill Laswell was already immersed in numerous projects since the end of the ’70s, including leading his loose ensemble Material, he didn’t release a solo record until 1984, and Baselines was quite a strange album. On the one hand, there’s “Upright Man,” one of the most infectious grooves Laswell has ever conceived, boasting ace bass playing and a weird taped sermon as sort-of lead vocals. Then there’s “Work Song,” which is funky and catchy and features Phillip Wilson’s somewhat off-beat drumming (pun intended). The other tracks are more experimental and weird (…) drawing on Ronald Shannon Jackson’s irate drumming, Michael Beinhorn’s acid-drenched synths and snippets of tapes and shortwave, the stuttering horns of George Lewis and Ralph Carney, the undescribable contributions of Fred Frith, and the vocalisms and percussion (rhythmic and non-rhythmic) David Moss provides. If the somewhat comparable work by Material left you craving more, you will certainly want to give this album a try”. [Source]




A Certain Ratio – Bootsy (1986)

by 1980s, Funk • Tags: , , , , , , ,

In terms of albums, four barren years preceded Force, which was recorded in the expanse of Yellow Two Studios, (Strawberry’s sister studio, across the road in Stockport) in November 1986. Included in this reissue are the sleeve notes of LTM label owner, James Nice, and they neatly guide you through the recording process, suggesting that the AKAI Sampler, which was just seeping into the country, would be heavily utilised on Force. [Source]



[via Jens Keis Kristensen]

r-STASH – Dance With Me (1977)

by 1970s, Funk • Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The brainchild of session musician Martin Dumas Jr., Rasputin’s Stash was a ’70s soul/funk ensemble from the Windy City of Chicago, IL. In the early ’70s, Dumas assembled an eight-piece group out of fellow session regulars from the city. Signed early on to the Cotillion label, the group released a self-titled album in 1971 and gradually lost half of their members by the time they recorded their second album for Gemigo, a subsidiary of Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom imprint. The quartet — Dumas, Ernest Frank Donaldson, Bruce Butler, and Paul Coleman — shed the possessive of their band name for another self-titled album, released in 1974. Gemigo eventually went under, and the group was shifted over to Curtom proper for a pair of singles released in the latter part of the decade: “Dance With Me” was released as r-Stash in 1977, and “Booty March” was released as Stash the year following. [Source]




[via Lars Villemoes in Copenhagen]

Monk Montgomery – Bump De Bump (1974)

by 1970s, Funk • Tags: , , , ,

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Monk Montgomery was the older brother of guitarist Wes Montgomery; younger brother, Buddy Montgomery played vibraphone and piano. The brothers released a number of albums together as the Montgomery Brothers. He is perhaps the first electric bassist of significance to jazz, introducing the Fender Precision Bass to the genre in 1951. Montgomery also played the double bass. His professional career did not start until after his younger brother Wes, at the age of 30. From 1951 to 1953 he worked in Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra. After that he worked with his brothers and Alonzo Johnson in the Montgomery Johnson Quintet. In 1955 he moved to Seattle to form the Mastersounds from 1957–1960. Later from 1966–1970, he freelanced with Cal Tjader and continued to play where he settled in Las Vegas, Nevada with The Red Norvo Trio. In his final years he was active in the Las Vegas Jazz Society, which he founded. He had also been planning a world jazz festival.




[via Jamaaladeen Tacuma on Facebook]