Whilst there are many, many great established artists out there
as well as thousands of great tunes groovin' through
the Funky Jazz/Soul 101
airwaves there are also many new artists either just
starting up or still in the early days of their career that
are worth a listen or maybe even an album purchase.
With the varied and different sounds coming out today that are
both fresh but still keep their retro sounding grooves
it's worth checking out these new artists.
With that in mind i've setup a page of newer artists that
DJ Cuckoo likes and you can read more about them below as
well as visiting their website and listening to some of their tunes.
Vinzenz Benjamin
It was bands such as Tower Of Power, Earth Wind and Fire
and Prince who inspired me to play bass. As a busy session
player you tend to get caught up in work and never take
enough time to create your own music, but it was always
my intention to record and produce some of my own material.
My album 'Solid State' is a mix of different styles, from
Pop to Soul to Jazz to Funk. The album incorporates big
horn arrangements, some old school funk grooves and it
features some great soloists. I had the pleasure of
working with some really fantastic musicians on this
album. Apart from my own compositions, partly
co-written with others 'Solid State' also includes my
personal take on some legendary funk and pop songs
that have inspired me as a bass player.
'Solid State' is available on iTunes and Spotify.
Visit the Website -
Vinzenz Benjamin
Stevie Hawkins - Drummer/Vocalist
2012 All Indie Music Awards Nominee
"Best Blues" and "Best Jazz" Artist
From the time I could hold a drumstick I was honing that craft,
singing and playing along to my mother's record collection. I
was blessed to be exposed to some of the greatest sounds in 20th
century music and my expertise is certainly attributable in large
part to that. The rhythms were really ingrained and the rest was
just learning to emote my feelings through those rhythms. I also
studied all those great musicians that played "with feel", and
still do. How music was constructed, the little nuances that
make a big difference, these are the things that really shape
a song and really shaped me and my development as a musician.
I've been inspired by so many great artists along the way and
the ghosts of those influences are definitely included here
on "What The Funk?". Some of my influences as a drummer and
vocalist are, Ray Charles, The Bar Kays, Rufus Thomas, Howlin'
Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson, Max Roach, Art
Blakey, Clyde Stubblefield, Jack DeJohnette, Ella Fitzgerald,
Groove Holmes, Willie Mitchell, Art Tatum, Father Earl Hines,
McCoy Tyner, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket, Little Milton,
BB King, Arthur Alexander, George Jones, Joe Cocker,
Manu DiBango, Mighty Sam McClain, Sam Dees, Jimmy Lewis,
Frederick Knight, William Bell, Patti LaBelle, Herb Alpert,
Donnie McCormick, Tony White, Chic Corea, Billy Cobham,
Tower of Power, Bootsy Collins and P-Funk, Al Green, Bobby
Bland, George Clinton, Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone,
James Brown, Billie Holiday, Toots Thielemans, Cold Blood,
George Duke, Al Jarreau, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Castor, Junior
Walker, Gregg Allman, Jimi Hendrix, and the list goes on.
My goal with "What The Funk?" was really to investigate and
bring to the audience a holistic approach to the overall genre.
There's such a variety of styles and so much of the history of
music encapsulated in what we call "Funk". I wanted to expand
funk music beyond what audiences can expect to hear with a few
songs they'd never expect to hear. The album showcases classic
funk to just plain fun funk with soul and jazz influences all
thrown in the batter. The combination works, serving up a
satisfying meal seasoned with topics that address love,
alienation, hope, faith, bad times and good times.
Visit the Website -
Stevie Hawkins Website
