Bernie Worrell - All the Woo in the World

"I talk by playing, not by words." - Bernie Worrell

My argument: George Clinton is a musical promoter par excellence with a hell of an ear.  This is not to downplay his significance. But the innovation within Funkedelic is Bernie Worrell....it was his work with synthesizers that made the P-Funk foundation and structured the sound..from arrangements to production.  This is the discipline of the sound.  Without it - this is a group that doesn't make it out of Detriot and sustain its success.  A classically trained pianist driving black rock.  As an artist, he is criminally overlooked.

All The Woo In The World was the debut album by Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell.   Released in 1978 by Arista Records. The P-Funk cast of muscians is present throughout the album.  Interesting to pair Bernie Worrell and Junie Morrison together...sparks fly.   History will judge this music. 

Tracklist
Woo Together
I'll Be With You
Hold On
Much Thrust
Happy To Have
Insurance Man For The Funk
Reprise: Much Thrust"

Personel: Bass - Billy Nelson , Rodney Curtis; Drums - Gary Mudbone Cooper , Jim Wright , Tyrone Lampkin: Guitar - Bootsy Collins , Catfish Collins , Eddie Hazel , Garry Shider , Glen Goins , Junie Morrison , Michael Hampton: Keyboards - Bernie Worrell: Lead Vocals - Bernie Worrell: Saxophone - Maceo Parker: Trombone - Fred Wesley; Trumpet - Richard Griffith , Rick Gardner
Vocals - Bootsy Collins , Brides Of Funkenstein , Garry Shider , George Clinton , Junie Morrison , Parlet.

Hold On is such a beautiful and complex song.  Written by George Clinton and Worrell. Worrell on lead vocals, Fred Wesley's great trombone intro and sustained melody, and Junie Morrison on keyboard.  Etheral.   "I'll be your co-signer".

Hold On

Defunkt - Defunkt

1980 release.  "Virtuosity in search of a concept"....think of a merging of  punk, jazz and dance music.  This is the group that jump started the underground New York funk music scene (Talking Heads, etc.). Influential without a doubt.  Led by trumpet player Joseph Bowie -- the son of a St. Louis-based music teacher, the brother of big band arranger Byron Bowie, and late trumpet player of the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Lester Bowie. Album has the original version of "Strangling Me With Your Love" and a version of Chic's "In the Good Times".  Their second album Thermo Nuclear Sweat featured Vernon Reid on guitar. 

This is comment from a cat named Rickey Vincent that lays it out for me:

"If you listen to that early 80's Miles Davis, where he tries to get into some spastic funk/jazz with a nasty edge, and basically leaves you unsatisfied...DEFUNKT gets you all the way there...What Miles was trying to do, Defunkt was doing...What Kelvynator was trying to do, Defunkt had it down...I have an Ornette Coleman album from around 1980, with a stanky electric bass guitarist underneath Ornette's horn...seriously trippy funk...for my money, even Ornette was working toward what Defunkt had mastered..."

Personnel: Backing Vocals - Clarice Taylor, Janos Gat (tracks: A4) , Michael Riesman, Backing Vocals, Percussion [Additional] - Charles Bobo Shaw, Bass - Melvin Gibbs, Drums - Ronnie Burrage, Flute, Saxophone - Byron Bowie, Guitar - Kelvyn Bell , Martin Aubert, Keyboards - Martin Fischerm Trombone, Vocals - Joseph Bowie, Trumpet - Ted Daniel.

Tracklist
Make Them Dance
Strangling Me With Your Love
In The Good Times
Blues
Defunkt
Thermonuclear Sweat
Melvin's Tune
We All Dance Together

Hard rock, jazz...what is this?   Took skills to play this that's all I'm sayin.  Classic with the trippy flute battling with a guitar.
 
Melvin's Tune

Bernard Wright - Nard

The Master Rocker.  1981 - his first release.  Wright, was product of Jamaica, Queens' R&B/funk scene....contemporary of Tom Browne and Lenny White.  This is teenage funk - he was 16 when this came out.  Known as a jazz musician but the album is more R+B groove.  Several instrumentals.... the irony being a Jamaica, Queens homeboy ended up being the fuel and sampling product for the G-Funk hiphop era. 

Personnel: Bernard Wright, keys, vocals; Dave Grusin, Don Blackman, keys; Ronnie Miller, guitar, keys; Bobby Broom, Henry Grate Jr., guitar; Jimmy Owens, Al Flythe, Ed Jackson, horn section; Marcus Miller, Barry Johnson, Buster Williams, Steve Teele, bass; Charley Drayton, Dennis Chambers, Roy Haynes, Mike Flythe, Howard Grate, Buddy Williams, drums; Crusher Bennett, percussion.  Patti Austin and Luther Vandross are credited as background vocals on the album.

Tracklist
Master Rocker
Firebolt Hustle
Haboglabotribin'
Spinnin'
Just Chillin' Out
Bread Sandwiches
Music Is The Key
We're Just The Band
Solar

Wright, Grusin and Blackman go off on the keys.....always loved the fender rhodes. 

Haboglabotribin'