I confess that I have been listening funk music a lot in recent years, and I have been surprised by the way in which this genre has mutated in different parts of the world, I think it is one of the genres that merge the most today and the truth is that it goes very well with everything. So I decided to make this Funk List with musicians who have been very active in the last 20 years, injecting vitality to this genre that has not stopped sounding since its birth in the middle of the last century in the USA within the African American community.
Medeski, Martin and Wood
For the last two decades I have not stopped listening to this New Orleans jazz-funk trio, formed in the 90s, composed of John Medeski on keyboard, Billy Martin on drums and Chris Wood on bass. Pure musical talent, which leaves a warm, comfortable and dynamic sound of a Jam Band.
Garage a trois
In the same vein as Medeski, Martin and Wood, I recommend this other Power Trio of pure contemporary jazz heavyweights, which is made up of saxophonist Eric "Skerik" Walton, guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Staton Moore. They all have their independent projects and shine with their own light, so together in Garage a Trois they do not let that shared genius express without overlapping, navigating between jazz, funk and touches of rock.
The Poets Of The Rhythm
This band rescues the Afro heritage of the classic sound of Funk, but this time made in Munich, Germany. With a characteristic vintage sound that can be confusing regarding its temporality and origins, Although most of its musical production comes from the mid-90s, it bites the millennium by passing the baton to other retro-soul bands in Europe.
Menahan Street Band
This Brooklyn band has been known to position itself in the New York retro funk scene, they come from the musical circuit that groups the Daptone Records label, who has released the albums of The Olympians, The poets of the rhythm, EL Michel affair among others, their sound he walks between funk, hip hop and afrobeat, in this 2021 they bring an album fresh out of the oven that I am just beginning to process and can already be heard on Bandcamp.
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
From the same revival circuit, this New York Afrobeat orchestra is already a reference of the genre in these times. Taking up the fantastic legacy of the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Another band from the Daptones label continues to incorporate Afrobeat, which is already a mixture of rhythms with a strong base of Funk, other nuances from the African diaspora in the Caribbean, the ethnic melting pot of its members enhances the fusion that characterizes this group.
If you want to see the complete sequence of this top 20, you can consult the part I and II here.
I hope you enjoy them and also your recommendations, Regards!