[Harp-L] funk



I seem to recall having written things about funk and funk harmonica in the past for the list. Ah, here:

http://harp-l.org/mailman/htdig/harp-l/2005-August/msg00837.html

Now, let's separate funk from funky. It's a bit like separating the blues from a blues. Thus, when someone like Fats Waller plays a blues it's not the same as when Muddy Waters plays the blues--one is a form within jazz, the other is another genre of music entirely. Similarly, while someone like Jimmy Smith may play "funky", it's not really the same as the genre which became funk. By now funk is a well-defined genre in and of itself--over 40 years old, really.

A lot of people have incorporated funk elements into their playing, with perhaps Junior Wells and James Cotton being the two most prominent and successful examples amongst blues harp players--some of what they did especially in the early and mid 70's crossed the line completely from being blues to being funk. As for funk harmonica players, well, Stevie Wonder and Lee Oskar with War are the only two really known for it (there are others, some quite good, but these are the two big ones).


Philharpn writes:


"Funk is a beat that is on the 2 and 4 but just a little before the 4, which
is another variation of the famed back beat in a 4/4 measure instead of
punching the 1 and 3, the 2 and 4 are emphasized."



I would disagree entirely. Funk as it has existed essentially since the mid 60's is defined by the beat being on the 1, distinctly not on the 2 and 4 as most previous American pop and folk styles were. This was the big revolution of people like James Brown and The Meters: the beat moved from the relaxed swing to a more hectic stomp. Now, if you're talking about more "funky" stuff like Jimmy Smith or the some of Wells and Cottons albums, then often the beat did remain on the 2 +4, but really for most of what is identified as funk the beat is strongly on the 1.


I m trying to think of one major funk musician or band since James Brown that wasn't overwhelmingly on the 1: Sly, P-Funk, War, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Gap Band, Prince...It's hard to find one who didn't mostly hit it on the 1, which is indicative of the importance of that beat, IMO.

Now, that's not the only definition, as you rightly point out specific chord sequences are common in funk. But if it isn't on the 1, it's really hard to say it's funk and not just funky.




()() JR "Bulldogge" Ross () () & Snuffy, too:) `----'







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