Blue Funk

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000058US8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,475 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars * This Is Magic Funk *, September 22, 2006

By 

Jasper (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Funk (Audio CD)

Listen to those sound samples! If this music is for you, it'll hit you right away.

Blue Note's "Blue Funk" is absolutely chock-full of soul/jazz/funk magic. Don't come looking for any lightweight stuff, 'cause this 2001 release is no joke...this is the real spirit of funk; down, dirty, and transcendent. If you prefer your funk on the more jazzy tip, as opposed to a more "rock" or "pop" style, then this may be your new favorite compilation. "Blue Funk" is all about swirling b3 organ, greasy, TIGHT horn lines, shifting rhythmic funk patterns, flying bongos, tight, tight, TIGHT rhythm guitar, and the ALL-MIGHTY drum & bass GROOVE. Tightness really is key here, as it's the tightness that keeps things fresh and prevents the whole excursion from being weighed down by repetition and sloppiness, which is the downfall of some funk music. The funky format here also prevents too much decadent, ponderous soloing (while there is a place for such exploration, this is not it). The music on "Blue Funk" is about the beat, the forward-motion of the rhythm, and the sustained buoyancy of the groove. The groove here, by the way, achieves the enormous feat of being heavy and deep, as well as clean and crisp...simultaniously.

I've enjoyed several of the Blue Note "blue" compilations, notably the "Blue N' Groovy," "Blue Breakbeats," and "So Blue, So Funky" sets, and as great as they are, they CAN be a little uneven. "Blue Funk," on the other hand, is so rhythmically engaging, so absolutely cohesive and refreshing that it never, EVER gets old. The choice of tunes here is phenomenal. Some of these grooves, such as the friendly old-school shuffle of "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" may be permanently etched into your DNA, and you'll be a better person for it. In the end, there is so much flawless music out there to be grooved to, that the eclectic listener has precious little time for anything but the cream, and the CREAM is what's delivered here. "Blue Funk" is the best of the best of the best. For me, there is no better single-disc, various artist collection of jazzy instrumental funk, period.

Like I said, listen to the sound samples. Sometimes sound samples can be misleading, but the ones presented here are very representative of the magic within this disc.

What a great collection!

Blue Note, WHERE IS VOLUME TWO??!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Funky!, July 31, 2001

By 

Miguel (Canterbury, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Funk (Audio CD)

I don't know very much about jazz, but something I know is that the blue series from blue note has some great compilations (I also have blue brazil which is an excelent CD). Blue Funk is great jazz funk, not the more comercial funk we are used to, but very good (and jazzy) funk from the late '60 and early '70 made by very good and creative musicians. I specially like "Down Home Funk" by Richard Holmes and the cover of Sly Stone's Family Affair.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hills Are Alive With The Sounds of Funk-key...., May 29, 2003

By 

yygsgsdrassil "yygsgsdrassil" (Crossroads America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Funk (Audio CD)

...a trunk of funk, a chunk of funk and it stunks of junky funk...

This CD with Blue Note urban jazz masters like Jack McDuff, Groove Holmes, Grant Green and Lou Donaldson. Fabulous renditions of "Don't Knock My Love" and "If There's a Hell Below" and the slow cookin' "Cissy Strut". For funk fans and Dirty Loungers, it doesn't get too much better than this.