Things have changed considerably in the past six or seven years, and the Funk Brothers have begun to get some of their long overdue credit and appreciation. They’ve received Grammys, they shook the hand of the US President, and some of the many who once called themselves a Funk Brother have been elevated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I enjoyed the video of this performance much more than the recording for the obvious reason that the singers draw you in with the video. The Funk Brothers, Uriel Jones on drums, Eddie Willis on guitar, and Bob Babbitt on bass, can be excused for their lack of stage presence, since they were always in the background, if even acknowledged. But the two female and one male singers fronting the group were absolutely infectious in their enthusiasm. Each of the three, Delbert Nelson, Donna Curtin, and Marcia Ware, rotated the singing duties for the most of the performance, with the occasional duet or trio in front of the mikes at the same time. The horn section, which included saxophones, trumpet, and trombone, added that strong soul beat that came through in just about everything ever put out by Motown.

This video tallies in at 95 minutes, including interviews with Bob Babbitt, Uriel Jones, and Eddie Willis, three of the early and original Funk Brothers. It was filmed in front of a New Year’s Eve crowd at the Universal Theme Park in Orlando, Florida.

Buy this CD and DVD if for no other reason than to put a few pennies into the pockets of the guys who really made the Motown Sound.