Chunks of Funk In a Hot Pot

Everyone knows someone who is revered for being able to make an award winning dinner dish. Let the food be the music, and allow the  mixed ingredients to have enough flavor for us all. Musically, the ingredients must say something on their own, and must also work together to create an exceptional meal. As the pot simmers, allow the dish to  cook for the appropriate amount of time.  What approach should the chef have? A key factor in creating a great plate is by emphasizing each ingredient in a  very unique.  Make sure that the meal includes enough instrumental elements. Add your favorite spices, splashed with a dash of Funk. 

Most of the time, we use something funky without calling it Funk.  There are many unnamed ingredients, so let’s define the most important one. The book  Flash Of The Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy,” states how, “According to Robert Farris Thompson, “funk(y),” comes from the Ki-Kongo word “lu-fuki,” which means foul body odor. But insofar as this odor is produced from perspiration that is induced by vigorous exertion, “funk(y)” also signifies honest expression and integrity, because the artistic and/ or material products that accrue from such exertion reflect a high level of commitment to one’s work.” Funk and work go hand in hand.  Saying that we had to get funky is a way of saying how we had to put in a certain amount of effort in order to get something done.

Let’s look at something else. In the book,  Funk: Third Ear – The Essential Listening Companion, by Dave Thompson, James Brown  spoke of the influence  that Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag had. Brown said, “I had discovered that my strength was not in the horns, it was in the rhythm. I was hearing everything, even the guitars, like they were drums. Later on, they said it was the beginning of funk. I just thought of it as where my music was going. The title told it all: I had a new bag.”  One of James Brown’s formulas for what became Funk is made very clear here.  The recipe was ripe for what was going on in the early 1960s. Bands started picking up Funk and adding those ingredients to their pots. All of the sudden, there was a big batch of Funk being served all over the world. 

It is a little known fact that a lot of rock groups fed off of the energy of James Brown’s Funk.  The truth is, his high energy showmanship and star power made him respected worldwide.   In the book,  An American Band: The Story of Grand Funk Railroad, by Billy James, James stated how, “In truth Flint, and surrounding cities Saginaw and Detroit, became a Mecca for rock ‘n’ roll groups like Ted Negent’s Amboy Dukes, Bob Seger System, MC5, Question Mark and The Mysterians, S.R.O, The Stooges and Mitch Ryder, and the Detroit Wheels.”  People mention Memphis for Soul music, and they talk about Detroit for Motown, but many people forget about what Michigan was doing with Rock music.  Musician Mark Farner recalled how, “The Flint music scene in the 60’s revolved, of course, around the radio, which was then AM Top 40. We had an AM station in Flint called WAMM, which played a lot of black music, just a lot of the blues, and funk, and Motown – that’s what we listened to.”  When people think about different genres of music, they fail to realize how that particular genre of music came to be.  

When people talk about ‘chunks of funk,’ please realize that the ingredients really matter. The ingredients make meals important.  Some ingredients taste very similar, yet may have a completely different name. As a matter of fact, their origins may actually be the same.  When we taste the final dish,  we don’t always know about every ingredient that was placed inside the pot.  It is very important to know who the cooks were.