I don’t know how you can make a song sound this funky with little more than a bunch of drums from Africa and Asia. But dammit, Nina Simone can. And she did.

(more…)

Being somewhat jazz-hesitant, if not an outright jazzophobe, especially when it comes to the F-word – “fusion” – I obviously haven’t heard of Alphonse Mouzon before.

(more…)

Here’s a slice of slinky, sinuous, sweaty, steamy Southern funk from the natural home of that sort of thing – New Orleans.

(more…)

Lack Of Afro’s Adam Gibbons teams up with Greg Blackman on his euphoric new single Loving Arms. I’ll be the first to admit I am naturally drawn to the melancholy in music ahead of hands-in-the-air dancefloor bangers. But even I can’t resist the irrepressible euphoria of a song like this.

(more…)

Here’s a slice of steamy Habibi Funk from Beirut’s master musician Charif Megarbane, guaranteed to liven up any summer’s day.

(more…)

I don’t know a darn thing about Jacqueline Jones, and I can’t find anything out on the Interweb. No biographical details, no other tunes. But what a voice! 

(more…)

When it comes to Filipino funk, you could write what I know on the back of a postage stamp. I didn’t know it existed, and I didn’t know it was called Pinoy Funk.

(more…)

I don’t know if psychedelic drugs were involved in the making of this song but I would be highly surprised if they weren’t. Then again, just listening to it is a mind-bending trip.

(more…)

Randy Crawford joined The Crusaders to sing what became their biggest hit, Street Life in 1979. Or, as my old colleague used to call it, Street Light.

(more…)

This tune was released on Syd Nathan’s legendary King label in Cincinnatti four years after they put out James Brown’s landmark first hit Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag in 1965.

(more…)