The Brothers Johnson

Welcome, Welcome funky bunch! It's about that time of the year for all you students out there... That's right I'm talking about finals. But with finals come the holidays and with the holidays come nice time funky parties! So the next time one of your brothers invite you over for eggnog, you can inspire them with the sweet sounds and knowledge of these brothers-- The Brothers Johnson, our artist of the month.

The band consists of funk artists George "Lightnin' Licks" and Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson. The band originally named The Johnson Three Plus One consisted of older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir who would back up R&B acts such as Bobby Womack and the Supremes in Los Angeles California. Louis and George later joined Billy Prestons band and wrote "Music for my Life" and "The Kids" for hime before leaving to record some music of their own. Quincy Jones then picked up their sound and sent them on tour in Japan with Bobby Womack and Billy Preston. 

The band who is admired most for their slappin' bass and hardcore funk instrumentals then debuted an album of their own called "Look Out For #1" which reached #9 on the US charts and #1 on the R&B charts. The following albums continued to groove into the charts ranging from #5-#13 on the US billboards and always either #1 or #2 on the R&B Charts. The musical genius of these brothers produced hit singles such as "I'll be good to you", "Strawberry Letter #23", and "Stomp". Many were disappointed   by their break-up in 1988 following The Brothers Johnsons not so successful hit "Kickin".  They then lead different lives making solo albums that just didn't have that family spirit.                                                                      

 

I feel like if the group had stuck together they could have continued on making the freshest instrumentals this side of the Mississippi. Nontheless they most certainly can bring any party together, so through a track and and get down with all your friends. Always remember to you can get your boogie on.... FUNK YEA!

Cut, Copy.... Hit!

Mornin y'all! I know we're all probably sick of turkey after Thanksgiving but Jazzy Z has gotta tell ya bout these turkeys that are stealing music and claiming it as their own. I'm beginning to think that there is just no good music being made today... I woke up this morning listening to George Clinton pandora radio station when I came across this gem, Leon Haywood-"I want'a do somethin freaky to you".

I wish i was able to upload the video straight to the page cuz you definitely gotta check that one out! You only have to listen to the first minute to catch that this beat (to it's entirety) is sampled in Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's hit "Aint Nuthin But A G Thang". I was completely blown away as I listened because these two rap artists were at the top of my list growing up. After being shocked that they had copied it, I came back to reality and said to myself "of course, thats what all hip hop artists do". That reality check actually brought a smile to my face because I have known this for years and thats why I have soo much R.E.S.P.E.C.T. for funk and soul music. The reason I thought Dr. Dre and Snoops classic was so good when I was young was probably due to the fact that it had that soulful beat. But is what Dr. Dre and Snoop did "wrong"?

After watching a documentary Copyright Criminals this has been the question for decades. Modern music has taken a rapid turn from creating, to copying-- and its perfectly legal. Most artists albums today consist of an average of 2-4 music samples from past artists. Some can be small and minuscule-- like a short drum beat, a shout, vocal harmony, or piano solo-- while others like "Ain't Nuthin But A G Thang" are to the songs entirety a beat for beat copy. If an artist today samples a past musician they have no legal obligation to give that person any part of that track or albums sales. Some artists such as James Brown have been sampled thousands of times by different groups and never see a pennie.

Want to hear more modern samples that are complete copies like these, well be prepared cuz what you're about to hear you may not dig. Lets do a couple of artists who made one hit wonders off completely copied soul songs from the 1970's. One hit wonders are the best to talk about because these are artists that litereally made millions off one song and you are about to hear that this million dollar hit wasn't even theres to begin with.

How bout Coolio... Remember that guy!? Ya i'm sure we've all heard "Gangsta Paradise" and thought whata bad ass... More lika turkey! That's because that song had already been created by a musical genius named Stevie Wonder. If you listen to Stevies "pastime paradise" you'll hear that the beat the melody and the chorus are all about 90% the same. All Crapio had to do was take out the lyrics and rap over them, then change the name of the song to Gangsta Paradise. I doubt Stevie even got a thank you...

Styles P was another one hitter... This bad boy went from rags to riches from his hit single "Good Times". This tasteful sample originally was created by Freda Payne in her track "I get high (in your memory)". This stoner kept up with the times and sought after all those reefers who loved smokin weed, and the kids ate it up! He butchered a love song that had meaning by speeding up the beat and adding junk lyrics. That's why my girl Freda is making our song of the week.

In conclusion do I think music sampling is wrong, not necessarily. As a matter of fact it just inspires me to listen to more old funk and soul classics, and although the artists who are being sampled may be getting ripped off, I'm sure they get a kick out of it when they realize that after 30 years their music is still being admired. After all they deserve all the credit, and I really hope a feeling of overwhelming accomplishment fills their soul knowing that they were that good. Until next time funky bunch, get your boogie on.... FUNK YEA!

Tis the Season

It's my favorite time of year y'all! Starting tomorrow the San Francisco Funk Festival is comin to TOWN! SF will be celebrating 10 years of magical funk festivities with it's strongest line up ever. In the past SFFF has enjoyed the sounds from such amazing artists as George Clinton, Z-Trip, Martin Luther, Grandmaster Flash, and the SF Funk All Stars.

There will be a total of 12 shows to celebrate the many facets of funkmanship. Groups such as S.O.S Band, Kraak & Smaak, The Budos Band, and Morris Day will be paving the road to funkytown! The bands will be playing most weekend nights for the next couple weeks at 8 different music venues such as Mezzanine, Elbo Room, Madrone, Yoshis, and Mighty. Tickets will range from 15-40 dollars for major acts and can be purchased on the website.

The city of San Francisco is notorious for one-upping everything, and festivals is something they do best. Unlike most music festivals the Funk Festival will have a total of 12 shows playing at different times of the month. So instead of having every band bunched together and paying for shows you don't care for, you have control over who you'de like to see.  You will have plenty of time to plan because the festival doesn't end until November 26th.

So get your back up off the wall and DANCE! And don't forget, you can always get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

Take Your Time (Do it Right)- S.O.S Band

There's a Funk on the Rise

Am I believin' what I'm seeing..? Do my eyes deceive me or is the San Francisco gettin' a little more funky?? San Francisco is known for being off the chart charismatic and beyond the usual. So it doesn't surprise me that it caters to the lovers of the funk. These days I've been seeing more and more of the word "funk"-- in advertisements, slogans, news, and ads. Most people believe that funk was put in the history books, well I'm a firm believer that history repeats itself, and it's happening today!

Check this one out.... funk N Chunk, gotta love that! The name doesn't sound that appealing but damn doesn't ring a bell... After it puts a smile to my face I realize, I just got to know more bout this place. Funk N Chunk is a food catering service that caters to your every need. It does more than drop off the food and bounce, rather Funk N Chunk will make any party literally "BOUNCE". They offer a full set up and breakdown of  BBQ grill equipment, buffet table, plates, condiments, and trash-- but that's only the beginning. Funk N Chunk kicks your party into disco speed with a quality sound system, games, and a DJ! These DJ's spin all around SF-- they'll play what you want to hear, or pick the right tunes that will get your crowd groovin'. You can rent all of these accessories at your own will, or chose from all inclusive special offers. Don't forget to also check out their enticing menu, which contains just about everything you can grill up to a variety of sides and salads. So before you get all dressed up the ball, remember that you can always get down a little more funky.

What are you doin' walking around with all that dirt on your clothes smellin' all types of funky!? You got to wash that stink off... And what better place to do that than Get the Funk Out laundry-mat! As I briefly passed by this business caught my eye as I thought to myself what a clever slogan. As we all know the term "funk" can have many meanings, I felt this place used it perfectly. Get the Funk Out is located in the western addition and receives very high reviews on yelp. It isn't the cheapest but is equipped with many machines, (so no waiting for others) its clean, cozy, has free Wi Fi, and just does a better job at getting that funk out. Many people explained their main reasons for going was simply because of the name, and that it's just a little more fun. Which just goes to show that the use of "funk" doesn't have to be positive, for it to still be allllllllll goooooooood!

So stop by your local funk provider today and keep your eyes open to this funky movement. I guarantee your life will be a lot more entertaining if you do ; D Until then get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Le Freak"- Chic

A Very Spooky Booooty

Brothers, sisters, and booty believers! Allow me to introduce a true modern funk group who not only loves to get down but literally is just all about the booty. Planet Booty resides in northern California and mostly holds shows in the Bay Area. These guys really know how to get the crowd shakin' and singin' and just when you thought you had enough they'll be beggin you to drop it lower!

 Planet Booty started by brothers Nathan and Dylan Germick described themselves as describes themselves as a good ol' fashion funk group that is destined to raise a smile and keep booties bouncing. The 6 piece ensemble fuses a blend of electro-pop, sci-fi synths, and funky booty bass. When all powers combine Planet Booty does more than just fascinate the ear drum. Their witty characters display an ensemble of choreographed dance routines and role playing scenes. 

So Halloween is near and it's about to get real sweaty. Planet Booty will be bringing you the funk at this years Halloween Freakout!-- October 29th at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. It's time for you to "Unleash your demons on the dance floor admist an intergalactic costume insanity, space funk, electro glam, and circuit bent pop". Also to be droppin' beats will be Hottub DJ's, EasyStreet, and Glowing Stars. Admission is $12 pre-sale and doors open at 8:30!

This is Jazzy Z wishing everyone a safe and funky Halloween--  and whenever you feel the need, get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Juice"-Planet Booty

More Bounce

Funk is all about the beat and the message-- the catchy tune lures people in while the message keeps you swingin' into tomorrow night. This particular band revolutionized music with their hand-clapped drum beat and Roger Troutmans introduction of the talk box. This combination was the groups main stream of inspiration to west coast hip hop and rap. From tours, gold selling albums, and #1 singles Zapp & Roger accomplished it all, and that's why Jazzy Z is making them this months featured artist.

The nucleus of Zapp & Roger circled around two of the five Troutman brothers Lester and Roger. The funk band went through many changes in names and band members-- starting with 11 members. When the Troutman family had connected with funk activists George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic, through childhood friend Bootsy Collins (another funk artist), the success began. When invited to join the Parliament Motor Booty Affair tour in 1978, Roger Troutman who was the ring leader, decided to cut the band to just two members. Roger and Lester took their show on the road opening for many major acts including Prince, The Commodores, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Kool & the Gang, and Cameo.

Zapp & Roger saw much more success with funk classics such as "Doo Wa Ditty", "Computer Love", "Heartbreaker", and finally reached #1 on the R&B Charts with "Dance Floor, Part 1". However, no song has seen more reputation than their head bobbing "More Bounce to the Ounce". This catchy line has been seen from the streets of San Francisco (as depicted to the right) to the voices of many famous artists. Mase quotes Zapp & Roger in the Bad Boy remixed "Only You" originally by 112, "Everybody know I got more bounce to the ounce, bad boy gettin mo' money than you can count". Rogers trademarked talk box is featured in "California Love" by 2pac and is still being used by many rap artists today.

Less talkin' & more dancin' you say? Here is "More Bounce to the Ounce", you know where to get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"More Bounce to the Ounce"- Zapp & Roger

Funk Castle

Gotta case of the Mondays!? Not to worry party people Friday is only 5 days away and Jazzy Z's got the place to be! I found myself in the middle of soul train last Friday when I walked into Edinburgh Castle. I'm gonna give y'all the inside scoop on the place that will keep those toes tappin and fingers snappin all night long.

Edinburgh Castle is a large and in charge dive bar located in the heart of San Francisco off Geary and Polk in the tenderloin. This bar comes equipped with a pool table, dart board, juke box, classy bartenders, dancing area, an upstairs lookout, smoke room, and tons of seating. The bar has happy hour everyday between 5-8pm as well as other daily shot and food specials. Edinburgh hosts a variety of get-togethers including 1964 night every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month-- following trivia night every Wednesday, live music the last Sunday evening of every month, and Motown the last Saturday of every month.

Friday nights the Castle gets funky as DJ Serious Leisure sparks a flame of dance classics from a variety of genres including funk, soul, motown, and pop. The second I walked in I felt right at home as my ears vibrated to the sweet sound of "ABC" by Jackson Five. Everyone in the bar was feelin the rhythm and moving their feet across the dance floor. As the night went on the beats didn't stop as the DJ continued with artists such as The Temptations, Earth Wind and Fire, Kool & the Gang, and the Commodores. I decided to get a better glimpse of all the excitement by heading upstairs for the overhead view of the entire bar. I stayed until the very last song played and let me tell you the night never got old, and the vibe stayed 100% fly. Also because of there great selection of music in their jukebox, you're able to start a dance party any night of the week!

Now leaving you with a track that will never go unheard during a funky/motown evening, this is Kool & the Gang with "Get Down On It." Get your boogie on... FUNK YEA!

"Get Down On It"-Kool & The Gang

King James I

Welcome, welcome guys and gals.. WOOOO "I Feel Good!" That's because today I'll be writin' bout my man, my partner in crime, a true friend of mine, James Brown. Among his many other well deserved nicknames-- "Soul Brother Number One," "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr. Dynamite," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," I'de like to attach one more.... "The King of Funk."

James Joseph Brown Jr. was raised in Elko, South Carolina and later on in Augusta, Georgia. His family was extremely poor and he spent most of his childhood moving in with different family members. After dropping out of school in the 7th grade, James Brown would spend his time raising money by shining shoes, sweeping out stores, washing cars, selling and trading old stamps, and singing in local talent shows. Brown had also performed dance routines to entertain troops at Camp Gordon during WWII. After his short career as a boxer and semi-professional baseball player ended due to a leg injury, Brown turned his energy to music.

For decades, Brown revolutionized music, influencing nearly every strain of pop music that would follow. Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and complex beats, Brown was one of the figures most responsible for turning R&B into soul, and soul into funk. James Brown reached the top of the charts with singles such as "Get Up, " "I Feel Good," "Papas Got A Brand New Bag," "Living in America," and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World." He also won many desirable awards including being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

As the years past his music became more and more hip swingin'. Browns music became ever more funky  with tunes like "Superbad," and "Get Up Offa That Thing." He has been said to influence such amazing funk and pop artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Prince and Michael Jackson. Browns music has been sampled by innumerable hip-hop producers and DJ's in the 1980's and 90's, helping establish rap as a viable musical form. Rolling Stone named James Brown #7 on their list of most influential artists of all time.

My advice to you is to pick up a James Brown record today! Maybe start with the infamous album "Sex Machine" to get those feet groovin'. I'm gonna sing off with my song of the week "SuperBad" and a list of Jazzy Z's top 5 greatest James Brown hits of all time. As always.. get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

1. "SuperBad"-James Brown

2. Get On Up
3. Soul Power
4. Get Off That Thing
5. Papa's Gotta Brand New Bag

Funk Ain't Dead

Oh, you thought funk was dead? Well, welcome all you gappers, finger snappers, toe tappers and love rappers-- this is FUNK YEA! I'm Jazzy Z and I will be providing you with groovy facts, ear-dancin tunes and hip-swingin bios that will keep your feet movin' towards the computer screen all night long.

Let me start by saying that FUNK isn't just music, funk runs through your soul like a double dutch bus on roller skates doin 360's on the dance floor. But most people haven't realized that modern hip-hop, rap and pop artists duplicate samples from many funk songs-- such as Mtume's- Juicy Fruit & The Whispers- And The Beat Goes On.
Mtume's - Juicy Fruit
Set a new standard for modern hip hop music. Mtume, named after the founder James Mtume, was a funk and soul group who performed in the early 1980's. The band had several R&B hits and recorded 3 albums. However the group didn't become famous until the song "Juicy Fruit" was sampled by Notorious B.I.G. Influenced by artist and producer Sean "P. Diddy" Combs,  Notorious' album Ready To Die reached quadruple platinum. The infamous P. Diddy was known for commonly taking samples from old funk and soul songs and speeding or slowing the tracks down. He sought after this new style of music that took over the east coast rap scene.  Thanks Mtume!

The Whispers - And the Beat Goes On
Is another beat that i'm sure everyone can recognize. This 1970's funk group served many Billboard Top 100's and have albums dating up to 2009. Their song "And the Beat Goes on" reached #1 and would further carry on it's legacy when sampled by actor/rapper Will Smith. Will Smith chose this back-breaking beat for his single "Miami". The album Big Willie Style had 4 hit singles including "Miami" which hit #17 on the charts.

In light of the artists who have inspired the singers and songwriters of today, this is Jazzy Z leaving you with our song of the week-- remember to get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Genius Of Love"-Tom Tom Club

Top Links About FUNK

1. Funk & Soul Info/Blogs
http://www.soulandfunkmusic.com/
http://www.surefunk.com/funkblog/
http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/funk-d13
"Soul and Funk Music" is ridiculously packed with info about your favorite funk artists, history, albums, songs, and artist reviews. "Sure Funk" caught my eye when it stated that James Brown invented funk, and George Clinton popularized it... I couldn't agree more! The "All Music" sight allows you to brush up your knowledge of all genres. It gives an evolution on where funk started to how it has developed today.




2. Funk Bars and Shows
http://events.sfgate.com/san-francisco-ca/events/funk
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/listings/san-francisco/funk_soul_r_b/55979_10047
Events at SFGate & Citysearch are great tools in finding funk shows coming up, and reading reviews of past shows. Their search box makes it easy for you to navigate through San Francisco and find that ultimate funk show.  When I  typed in funk, it came up with all these places that play or have funk shows coming up-- For instance, The Hot 8 Brass Band is playing at Yoshis, and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey will be at the Boom, Boom Room. This is an awesome start in helping funk lovers find their groove. 

3. Funk and Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funk/113721828638054?sk=wall
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thefunkyones/
The busiest funk page on Facebook acts as a gateway to funky information.  The wall is filled with posts similar to a blog and contain facts about funk songs, videos, and artists. This will help me see what all the latest buzz about funk. In searching Facebook for funk pages I was reminded of a good friends group called "The Funky Ones". This group was originally a collaboration of 3 funk bands that played in SF. The 3 bands and their followers we're the members of the group but now it's open to anyone. This group will benefit me in finding funky areas to go in the city and keep me posted on some modern funkadelic shows.

Now that you know where to dig it, you can really enjoy the ride. My name's Jazzy Z... Get your boogie on, FUNK YEA!

"Machine Gun"-The Commodores