Soul Pride: The Instrumentals, 1960-1969

Brown, James

album cover

Ain't It Funky Now?

A secret history of the 1960s lurks inside this two-disc survey. It concerns the "other" James Brown (1933–2006), the bandleader and sometime organist who carried the grooves that made him famous into after-hours gigs and late-night recording sessions.

Brown recorded more than eleven full-length instrumental albums during the '60s; he and the band played down-and-dirty slow blues, roaring boogaloo, and an intense agitated jazz-funk. These records didn't sell a lot, but they were influential: Rhythm section players from all corners of popular music study them still.

Drop in anywhere, and you'll encounter a band accustomed to the demanding work of backing the Godfather of Soul. Except here, everybody's laying back just a smidgen. Solos stretch on expansively—hear Maceo Parker, the master of horn funk, at full steam, cue up "The Popcorn," a serving of hotly tongued saxophone explosiveness. Brown himself is more than a name on the marquee: Check the big-band blues "Sumpin' Else" and the live up-tempo "Devil's Den" to hear him play smart, scooting organ solos. Also here is the original mix of "Funky Drummer," the showcase for the mighty Clyde Stubblefield.

These recordings show exactly what goes into the wound-tight James Brown groove. Every musician understands how his contribution, even if it's a simple two-note horn riff, fits into the big picture. The rhythm section snaps out backbeats that are loose yet taut, agitated yet restrained—on this bandstand, the biggest sin is to overplay. When everybody's locked together, the result is a backbeat that deserves to be regarded as a national treasure.

Genre: R&B
Released: 1992, Polydor
Key Tracks: "Hold It," "Sumpin' Else," "Devil's Den," "Gittin' a Little Hipper," "The Popcorn," "Sudsy."
Catalog Choice: In the Jungle Groove.
Next Stop: Sly and the Family Stone: There's a Riot Goin' On
After That: Idris Muhammad: Power of Soul.
Book Page: 121