News, reviews and commentary on afrobeat and related music from Africa, The Caribbean and The Americas

Sunday, March 02, 2008

The Tightest Band In History?

By Robert Fox

Very possibly.

Check this out: James Brown live in Paris, 1971, "Ain't It Funky Now." Featuring Phelps "Catfish" Collins on lead guitar, Bootsy Collins on bass, Fred Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on sax. This was recorded shortly before most of the band left to help form Funkadelic, when JB became just too much to bear.

Incredible focus and musical unity. This is the Rosetta Stone of Afrobeat, and you can see the source of many of the elements of Fela's stage show here. Never can say enough about James Brown, modern super-hero and freak:



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