Hell, be prepared not to sit down ever while listening to this disc. There was that scene in that damned Yuppie movie where they all dance around the kitchen to a Motown song, and I'm thinking now, why weren’t they listening to the stuff on this disc, or its equivalent, if they wanted to dance.
Songs like "Natural Man (I Need)" performed by Family Portrait and written by the Williams brothers, snap your spine into motion unlike anything I've ever heard before. This is the stuff that follows the natural progression from the fields, to the church, to the blues and jazz. It feels much more like part of the family of soul full music in the literal sense, than any of its cheap imitators.
If those occasional tastes of funk that have seeped into your lives via the radio have whetted your appetite for more, than Funky Funky New York is an essential addition to your collection. The accompanying booklet gives some really good background into each of the tracks and the artists, and includes a great interview with the Pazant brothers (You can catch Beaufort Express at the Cotton Club every Monday night when they're not touring).
One plaintive note that's struck is the fact that the Williams brothers have not been heard of since the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. They had moved their label, Ghetto Records, back to the city of their birth, and Tuff City records has not been able to track them down. They ask that anyone who knows anything about the whereabouts of the family to contact their New York City offices.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
Excellent piece, man. I hope the Williams brothers are ok.