Maceo Webcast #19 Jazz Funk
Jazz Funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat (groove), electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre whose spectrum is indeed quite wide and ranges from strong jazz improvisation to soul, funk or disco with jazz arrangements, jazz riffs, and jazz solos, and sometimes soul vocals. Jazz-funk is primarily an American genre, where it was popular throughout the 1970s and the early 1980s, but it also achieved noted appeal on the club-circuit in England during the mid 1970s. 
At its conception, the jazz-funk genre was occasionally looked down upon by jazz hard-liners as a sell-out, or "jazz for the dancehalls." It was unsubstantially presumed by these to be not intellectual or elite enough, which led to controversy about the music crossing over, but it was making jazz much more popular and mainstream.
The jazz-funk (as well as a proportion of the jazz) community absorbed the street sound of the funk rhythm, which gave the genre a dance-able rhythm and gained influences from the electric and some new analog electronic sound of fusion. The 1970s included many original stylistic creations, and the jazz-funk genre was very representative of this movement.(wiki)
CKJ 505 wrote at EMC:
As I am on the wrong side, the way wrong side of 30, I am leaning towards the jazz side of funk.It’s hard to put a finger on what funk is, but jazz funk makes me feel good,
It’s smooth and free, simpler chords with solid chord progressions.
....For CKJ 505
Track list
"It Remains to be Seen" kicks off bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin's first LP for Mercury ('Slow Traffic To The Right') with a steady funk groove layered with reverb heavy orchestrated horns and electronic atmospheres. The beat is unobtrusive and seems to pre-date 90s acid jazz and trip-hop. Bennie and pianist Patrice Rushen turn in high energy solos that lift the song. A great bit of spiritual funky jazz that is an excellent groove.
2. Hideaway (live) – David Sanborn
Alto saxophonist David Sanborn has earned fame beyond that of the average studio musician, and rightfully so. Sanborn has been among the session elite working with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and David Bowie (I loved Sanborn's sax on the album 'Young Americans). This version of "Hideaway" is from the live-in-studio album 'Straight to the Heart'- often regarded by many as one of Sanborn's best as it features a stripped-down, funky showcase for his distinctive saxophone sound. Not only is the leader on top form, but he finds himself in good company. Marcus Miller contributes some great bass lines and solos, whilst there are fine touches by guitarist Hiram Bullock.
3. Hurricane Season – Trombone Shorty
“Supafunkrock” is the name that Trombone Shorty gives his engaging blend of brass band blasts, metal guitar and deep grooves. From his debut album on Verve 'Backatown' this is the opening stomper “Hurricane Season”
4. Chameleon/We Want the Funk – Los Hombres Caliente
Los Hombres Calientes consists of the core group of Bill Summers (percussion), Irwin Mayfield (trumpet) and Jason Marsalis (drums) and they are supplemented by piano, bass and percussion. The band is a meeting of young and old as Summers is a veteran of the jazz scene (his most notable sessions was part of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters) and both Mayfield and Marsalis are in their early twenties. Here they funk it up with Herbie Hancock’s "Chameleon" and George Clinton’s "We Want the Funk."
5. McEwan’s Export – Average White Band
A live version of this track was played by the Average White Band (AWB) on the Atlantic Family Live at Montreux album with Morrissey Mullen, but the studio version didn't make the cut of AWB's second album (the 1974 self titled white Album most mistake as their first). This is the from the pre-Arif Mardin-production version of that album.
6. (late night at the ) Maple Leaf – Stanton Moore
Stanton Moore is also the drummer in the funk band Galactic and the avant-funk group Garage a Trois. Here with keyboardist Robert Walter and guitarist Will Bernard, they rock the house. His deceptively complex drumming on “(late night at the) Maple Leaf” creates the illusion that he is playing half a measure behind or ahead of the beat while the group turns in some penetrating hard funk.
7 Eric – Marcus Miller
Multi-instrumentalist Miller is a well-known staple within the jazz and blues communities. Best known as the bassist for Miles Davis and David Sanborn, he is a clarinet player, keyboardist, saxophone player, guitarist, and vocalist. Many of these facets are heard his 1995 album 'Tales.' This track features a great call and response with Hiram Bullock on guitar and Marcus on bass.
8. Stroke ’75 – Tower of Power
Tower of Power blew literally out of the Bay Area's early '70s scene at a time when hip black and white tastes were further diverging. The horn-heavy ensemble managed to find an audience of album buyers on both the soul and rock sides of the divide, though. This great and all too brief B-side “Stroke ’75″ shows off the "funkifized" soul of their world-famous horn section
9. Time – Lenny White
This album finds the Ex-Return To Forever drummer being produced by Earth, Wind & Fire keyboardist Larry Dunn, which brings a r'n'b sound to the mix of jazz-rock fusion. This little funky pop vocal gem is called "Time."
10 Chocolate Chip – Miles Davis
'Doo-Bop' was Miles Davis' final studio album, which would have marked the beginning of the artist's turn to hip-hop-oriented tracks. The project stemmed from Davis sitting in his New York apartment in the summer with the windows open, listening to the sound of the streets. He wanted to record an album of music that captured these sounds. In early 1991, Davis called up his friend, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons and asked him to find some young producers who could help create this kind of music, leading to Davis' collaboration with Easy Mo Bee. This is one of the too-funky results.
11. Lopsy Lu-Silly Putty – SMV
The album 'Thunder' is a collaboration between three of jazz fusion's reigning heavyweight bassists -Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten. The track here from that album is "Lopsy Lu-Silly Putty" - a medley of sorts. Some "Lopsy Lu" from Stanley Clarke's self-titled album (1974), some "Silly Putty" from Stanley's album Journey To Love (1975) added with a bass-line from "School Boy Crush" from The Average White Band's album "Person To Person" (1976). The tune is peppered by George Duke's mini moog. The funky sound of the '70's transferred to contemporary bass. Yum
Listen later here
Posted at 2tha9s.com on March 12, 2011 by SeeNote
Maceo’s funky creation comes to you today from the webcasting forum of the Entropy Music Club or “EMC” and boy, this funkateer seamlessly struts through the podcast like a cool breeze on a Sunday afternoon.
