Jazz-Funk & Disco: The Conclusion

CONCLUSION — JAZZ FOUND THE DANCEFLOOR

The story of Jazz-Funk and Disco is ultimately a story about musicians refusing to stay in one box.

Jazz musicians heard Funk and responded.
Funk musicians heard Soul and Disco.
Disco producers heard synths and drum machines.
DJs heard possibilities.

And a generation of listeners heard music that could be both sophisticated and physical at the same time.

Herbie Hancock could make Jazz Funk.
Roy Ayers could move between Jazz, Soul and Disco.
George Benson could take Jazz guitar into the Pop charts.
Harvey Mason could move from Jazz to the dancefloor.
Donald Byrd could transform his sound without abandoning his musical identity.
MFSB could turn Philadelphia Soul into a dancefloor anthem.
Chic could make a bassline that would eventually help launch Hip-Hop.

And artists such as Teena Marie, Patrice Rushen, D-Train, Stacy Lattisaw and Evelyn King could take the entire history and push it into the electronic future.

That's what makes this era so exciting to dig through. The records don't exist in isolation. They talk to each other.

A Jazz record leads to a Funk record.
A Funk record leads to Disco.
A Disco record leads to Boogie.
A Boogie record leads to Electro.

And somewhere along the way, a DJ puts the needle down and finds the break.

The technology changed. The formats changed. The clubs changed.

But the groove remained.

Jazz found the Funk, JazzFunk found the dancefloor, and Disco opened the door to the future.

ARTISTS TO KNOW

Herbie Hancock
Roy Ayers
Donald Byrd
Lonnie Liston Smith
Grover Washington Jr.
Ronnie Laws
George Benson
Idris Muhammad
Harvey Mason
Eumir Deodato
MFSB
Chic
The Trammps
Sister Sledge
Earth, Wind & Fire
Kool & The Gang
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Rick James
Slave
Lakeside
T-Connection
The Whispers
Dynasty
Skyy
Cameo
Evelyn "Champagne" King
Teena Marie
Patrice Rushen
D-Train
Change
Mtume
Kashif
Aurra
Sharon Redd
Loleatta Holloway
First Choice
Double Exposure
Taana Gardner
Peter Brown
Hamilton Bohannon
Cheryl Lynn
Carl Carlton
Jimmy Bo Horne
Oliver Cheatham
Yarbrough & Peoples
Rockers Revenge
Gino Soccio
Julia & Company
Young & Company

RECORD LABELS TO KNOW

T.K. Disco
Salsoul Records
Philadelphia International Records
Casablanca Records
West End Records
Prelude Records
SAM Records
Cotillion Records
CTI Records
Kudu Records
Westbound Records
Chocolate City Records
Fantasy Records
Atlantic Records
Motown Records

Each label tells part of the story.

Follow the labels and you'll find the connections.

Follow the musicians and you'll find the collaborations.

Follow the records and you'll find the grooves.

RECORDS WORTH DIGGING

Jazz-Funk
Herbie Hancock — Head Hunters
Donald Byrd — Black Byrd
Donald Byrd — Places and Spaces
Roy Ayers Ubiquity — Mystic Voyage
Lonnie Liston Smith — Expansions
Grover Washington Jr. — Feels So Good
Ronnie Laws — Always There
Eumir Deodato — Prelude
Idris Muhammad — Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
Harvey Mason — Groovin' You

Funk
Stevie Wonder — Superstition
Earth, Wind & Fire — That's the Way of the World
Kool & The Gang — Hollywood Swinging
Rufus & Chaka Khan — Tell Me Something Good
Rick James — Super Freak
Slave — Just a Touch of Love
Lakeside — Fantastic Voyage
T-Connection — Do What You Wanna Do
Cameo — Shake Your Pants

Disco
MFSB — Love Is the Message
The Trammps — Disco Inferno
Donna Summer — I Feel Love
Chic — Good Times
Sister Sledge — We Are Family
First Choice — Let No Man Put Asunder
Loleatta Holloway — Hit and Run
Double Exposure — Ten Percent
Taana Gardner — Heartbeat
Cheryl Lynn — Got to Be Real
The Players Association — Disco Inferno
Anita Ward — Ring My Bell

Jazz, Funk & Disco Crossovers
George Benson — Give Me the Night
Harvey Mason — Groovin' You
Idris Muhammad — Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
Roy Ayers — Running Away
Donald Byrd — Love Has Come Around
Richie Havens — Going Back to My Roots
Peter Brown — Dance With Me
Gene Chandler — Get Down
Al Hudson & The Partners — You Can Do It

Early Boogie & Electronic Disco
The Whispers — And the Beat Goes On
Dynasty — Adventures in the Land of Music
Teena Marie — Behind the Groove
Change — The Glow of Love
D-Train — You're the One for Me
D-Train — Music
Mtume — Juicy Fruit
Kashif — I Just Gotta Have You
Patrice Rushen — Forget Me Nots
Aurra — You and Me Tonight
Yarbrough & Peoples — Don't Stop the Music
Skyy — Here's to You
Sharon Redd — Can You Handle It
Raw Silk — Do It to the Music
Rockers Revenge — Walking on Sunshine
Gino Soccio — Try It Out
Julia & Company — Breakin' Down (Sugar Samba)
Young & Company — I Like (What You're Doing to Me)

KEEP DIGGING

The next time you pull a Jazz-Funk or Disco record from a crate, listen beyond the obvious.

If you dig the beat, who was the drummer?
If the bassline provided a stone cold groove, who was on bass?
Who was on percussion
If the electric piano or synth hit the spot, who was on keys?
Who arranged the strings and who produced the track?

Then ask yourself, “where did this sound come from”? or, “where did it go next”?

Because that is the real beauty of digging. Sometimes a record isn't just a record, sometimes it's a link to music waiting to be discovered, acquired and cherished.

Jazz leads to Funk, Funk to Disco, Disco to Boogie and they all eventually lead to Hip-Hop.

The crates aren't divided into genres. We are.

The music has always been connected, if you take the time to look for the connections..