Prayve's Jazz Funk Fusion

JAZZ FUNK... More Jazz Funk!!! Total grooviness, bouncing funk beats, plus very solid jazz musicianship all the way. That's what you're getting on this one.

Starts off with Herbie Hancock's "Bring Down The Birds" from the 1966 film "The Blowup". You'll immediately recognize the insane bass line from Dee Lite's "Groove is in the Heart"... Then some more from Abba's session guitarist Janne Schaffer. First with the band Svenska Löd Ab! and a very tight session from the album "Hôrselmat", an absolute rarity and collector's Holy Grail - then with the track "Dr. Abraham", from his second solo album.

Roy Porter's track entitled "Panama" with its thumping bass line, hypnotic Fender Rhodes, stellar horn and flute arrangements is a Jazz-funk classic masterpiece. A pure gem that won't stop haunting you.

Quinteplus is another rare jazz collector's favorite. A killer set by funky instrumentalists from Buenos Aires, with wonderful keyboards and sharp drum beats. The track "El Pasito de Nano" is an absolute winner... Marc Moulin's Placebo is next, and needs not be introduced any further. Outstanding funky jazz from Belgium, highly sought-after and sample-packed. "Only Nineteen" is another example of fine keyboard and horn savoir-faire.

You'll also hear some great instrumental jazz funk from Brazil, with Antonio Adolfo, Azymuth and Banda Black Rio, all of which were featured on previous posts on this blog. "Mr Funky Samba" is a timeless piece of Brazilian music. It's whatever you want to call it: samba funk, soul samba, funky samba... heavy electric bass and funky Fender Rhodes with stabbing horn sections and a strong jazz influence.

The great Dennis Coffey is also featured here, with "Scorpio". One of the most sampled track in history with its staggering 2:20 minute open break beat! Doesn't get any funkier than this...

Then come the Frenchies. Jean-Claude Pelletier, with an extract of his album "Streaking". Some of the best groovy funk ever recorded in France. Super heavy and very rare stuff... Then, Les Wanted with "Six, Quatre, Nous". Another PURE jewel, directed by Francois Rolland and Jean-Claude Pierric; "Mister J.", by the legendary Cortex from their second album "Vol.2", for all you Fender Rhodes lovers out there; "Old Timmy" by Schifters, aka. Jacky Giordano & Yan Treger; "Black Sweat" by the cult funk ensemble Chute Libre; "Clavinet Shit" by Ceccarelli, Chantereau, Padovan & Pezin. The name of the song speaks for itself; and finally "So be it" by Airto Fogo. This is basically the Funk DREAM TEAM from France (Cocorico!).

Classics to wrap up. U.S. Classics. The J.B.'s "Blow your head" will definitely fulfill the promise. Powerfull Moog driven madness from Fred Wesley's crew ; and finally the Blackbyrds' theme... Dig that!

Click on the image below to see the album art for all of tracks in this compilation:


Tracklist is:

01. Herbie Hancock - Bring Down The Birds, 1966
02. Svenska Löd Ab! - Va Då Rå - Va E', Reö, 1971
03. Roy Porter - Panama 1, 1975
04. Quinteplus - El Pasito De Nano, 1972
05. Placebo - Only Nineteen, 1973
06. Ray Bryant - Cool Struttin', 1974
07. Antonio Adolfo - Diana e Paulo, 1979
08. Azymuth - A Caça, 1977
09. Banda Black Rio - Mr. Funky Samba, 1977
10. Janne Schaffer - Dr. Abraham, 1974
11. Dennis Coffey - Scoprio, 1971
12. Jean-Claude Pelletier & Orchestra - To Streak With Devil, 1974
13. Les Wanted - Six, Quatre, Nous, 1975
14. Cortex - Mister J., 1977
16. Chutte Libre - Black Sweat, 1977
16. Schifters - Old Timmy, 1974
17. C.C.P.P. (Ceccarelli, Chantereau, Padovan, Pezin) - Clavinet shit, 1975
18. Airto Fogo - So be it, 1976
19. The J.B.'s - Blow Your Head, 1974
20. The Blackbyrds - Blackbyrds' Theme, 1974

Get your jazz funked up right here, right now!

Euro Jazz Funk Madness

Back in the early 1970’s, the fusion of jazz with funk and elements of rock was a pretty big trend in North America. With the recent introduction of synthesizers and other electric instruments and with the increasing popularity of funk music; recognized jazz band leaders such as Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Donald Byrd started exploring new electronic grounds. Before long, their most noted band members started their own jazz-funk outfits and by the mid 70’s, the likes of Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters, Chick Corea and Return to Forever and Joe Zawinul and Weather Report were drawing huge attention and had become big record sellers.

What was going on in Europe at the time? With the psych pop and Yé-Yé craze slowly fading and the Disco frenzy just a few years ahead… Was the talented European jazz avant-garde falling asleep? Hell no!!! A few guys back here were seriously vibing on the Fender Rhodes and chomping up some of the most groove infected drum breaks you'll ever hear.

In fact, they may have not had the same level of attention back in the days – but they have had as much impact on the hip-hop, trip-hop and electro scenes to come as their American counterparts.

Here is a selection of 20 super rare - super funked up European jazz grooves that you can't miss on. Please meet (if you don't know them yet):

Marc Moulin (from Belgium) and his band Placebo, (he also plays on the amazing track from Cos); a visionary force in European acid jazz, heavily influenced by Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock - who in turn has been highly influent for pop-synth and trip-hop artists in later decades.

Jean Claude Pierric and Francois Rolland who are the masterminds behind the Harlem Pop Trotters, Les Wanted, Minotaure and the legendary Godchild; Most of their music was not even commercially released at the time. It was production music, or library music, pre-recorded and sold via sound banks for usage in commercials or television programs! Other Library musicians featured in this selection include Michel Gonet, and Englishman Peter Milray, from the famous DeWolfe music Library.

The legendary band Cortex, led by Alain Mion & Alain Gandolfi and this track from their Album "Troupeau Bleu" - an indescribable blend of Jazz, funk, samba and batuccada with brilliant keyboard arrangements. The album was recorded in 2 days, and is almost impossible to find - aka Holy Grail for record collectors like myself (luckily it was recently re-edited).

World-class French drummer André Ceccarelli and other Jazz greats such as Martial Solal, Maurice Vander, Michel Sardaby and Romano Mussolini (who is no other that the youngest son of Benito himself), all feeling the funk pretty heavily on these tunes.

Spanish Jazz fusion artists Jordi Sabates and Pedro Ruy Blas, who add a very noticeable (and wonderfully appreciated) flamenco feel to their groove. Ever heard that from Mr Hancock?

Famous French composer Michel Colombier, who has worked with the worlds greatest, from Gainsbourg to the Beach Boys, to Quincy Jones and Madonna. On this track, from his 1979 self titled album, the personel is no other than:
Michel Colombier : piano, fender rhodes synthesizer - Lee Ritenour : guitar - Herbie Hancock : mini-moog solo - Jaco Pastorius : bass - Airto Moreira : percussion - Steve Gadd : drums. That says it all. I've never seen such an impressive line-up.


Tracklist is:
01. Les Wanted - Couidic-Kong, 1972
02. Ceccarelli, Chantereau, Padovan, Pezin. (C.C.P.P.) - Joris of lumina, 1975
03. Peter Milray - Time Machine, 197?
04. Harlem Pop Trotters - La Moto Verte, 1974
05. Michel Sardaby - Welcome New Warmth, 1974
06. Romano Mussolini - Mirage, 1974
07. Maurice Vander - Grand Rogue, 1974
08. Martial Solal - A Train is Better Than Two, 1974
09. Cos - Halucal, 1974
10. Jordi Sabates - Ocells del mes enlla, 1975
11. Cortex - Sabbat, 1975
12. Placebo - Balek, 1973
13. Pedro Ruy Blas & Dolores - La Ausencia, 1976
14. Martial Solal - Locomotion, 1974
15. Marc Moulin - Le Beau Galop, 1975
16. Minotaure Illustration - Yawn and Yell, 1972?
17. André Ceccarelli - Gang Process, 1975
18. Genevieve Paris (with André Céccarelli) - De Paris en Paris, 1975
19. Michel Gonet - Flower Dance, 1978
20. Michel Colombier - Sunday, 1979

This is like good wine. Kept in a cellar for about 30 years, finely matured, it just tastes amazing today (and similarly to Bordeaux, 1974 and 75 were pretty excellent years).


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