Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 I am auditioning for a funk band and have been asked to suggest 3-4 songs for my audition. I'm not a true/pure funk player, so I am trying to figure out some good songs to play. The audition will be a trio (drum-bass-keys), so I need some songs that will lend well to that setup and I don't play slap very well. Also, I don't really know what flavor of funk they are looking for, so I kinda wanna keep it simple and go with songs I can settle into the groove and not have to worry about being flashy. I am thinking maybe some Meters, James Brown, etc. Suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dDigitalPimp Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 not really funk in its truest form, more like funky jazz, but with that lineup (bass, keys and drums) maybe you could suggest some medeski martin and wood songs if you are familiar with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members T. Alan Smith Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Hell, I'd just tell the drummer to "GIMME A BEAT!!!":cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Hell, I'd just tell the drummer to "GIMME A BEAT!!!":cool: That is kinda what I was expecting to do, but they specifically asked me to bring 3-4 songs with me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Keep it simple fingerstyle: Meters- "Sissy Strut" Stevie Wonder- "Superstitious" James Brown- "I Got Soul" Let them know upfront that your slap skilz aren't sharp, but phrase it like "I need to work them in with a new drummer." if they are harping on the slap styley. The most important part to a funk audition isn't nailing all the parts, it's nailing the FEEL; find the deepest part of the pocket, and build a brick {censored}ing house there. C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 not really funk in its truest form, more like funky jazz, but with that lineup (bass, keys and drums) maybe you could suggest some medeski martin and wood songs if you are familiar with them. what a coincidence....a friend of mine at work just gave me a copy of one of their earlier albums, Shack Man, from 1996 I'd never heard of them before ....anyways I take the album home...and didn't really like that much of it except for 1 song....Jelly Belly... It's got a great bass line that sets up and drives the whole song... I spent about 2 hours on it last night and another 45 minutes this morning... great stuff... but the rest of the album...to me it's like "ok roll the tape and we'll dick around for 5-6 minutes...then we'll do it 10 more times and call it an album." I probably need to listen to it some more..or try something else by them... any suggestions....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZenMoto Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Stevie Wonder...I wishSuperstition Elvis Costello...Pump it up Grand Funk Railroad...Feelin' alright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zachoff Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 FlashlightBrick House Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 but the rest of the album...to me it's like "ok roll the tape and we'll dick around for 5-6 minutes...then we'll do it 10 more times and call it an album." That's always been my opinion of MMW; great jams, no "songs".C7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rowka Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Why aren't they telling what to learn for the audition? Are they just so , um, that any song you learn, they will already know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Why aren't they telling what to learn for the audition? Are they just so , um, that any song you learn, they will already know? I found it a bit strange too. I am going to get on the phone with these guys in the next couple of days and get the details, but I think they are just in the "let's put a funk band together" stage and haven't fully thought out what that means. thanks for the suggestions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crescent Seven Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 I think they are just in the "let's put a funk band together" stage and haven't fully thought out what that means. If you discover that that's the case, all you need is a pentatonic scale and a 12 pack of beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 If you discover that that's the case, all you need is a pentatonic scale and a 12 pack of beer. Good, cuz that's pretty much all I gots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkee1 Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Are they a funk Cover band, or a funk influenced jam band? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Are they a funk Cover band, or a funk influenced jam band? hopefully the latter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkee1 Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 hopefully the latter! If they're the latter, just groove. Think Meters/ JB's, and get some organ trio stuff. like Soulive, Medeski Martin and Wood, and some real organ trio stuff, like Booker T and the MG's, Brother Jack Mc Duff, etc. If it's the former, EWF, Rick James, Gap Band, Cameo, Etc. If you don't work out, you know who's number to give them right???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brother Mango Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Interesting challenge. Interesting thread. y-o-y, if your suspicions are correct, you may be involved with determining what you'd consider funk to be within this band's context. So, maybe that's part of why you have to pick some songs. I don't want to suggest that anyone's concept of funk is wrong, but many of the previous suggestions IMHO are funky, but not Funk. Chameleon is funky, but it still feels too intellectual to be Funk. Songs that aren't just funky, but personal examples of Funk: Cholly -- FunkadelicSlide -- SlaveGroovallegiance -- FunkadelicGet it Up -- The TimeGet up, Get Into it, Get Involved -- James BrownKeep it Hot -- Cameo What separates these songs from Brickhouse? It's hard to say. The Commodores just feel like funky R&B to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dDigitalPimp Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 I probably need to listen to it some more..or try something else by them...any suggestions....? i have the albums; out louder (2006) and last chance to dance trance (1999) and i like just about everything on them as well as anything i hear on sirius 17, jam_on by them. that is their basic style tho, just more jam than structure. that newer cd might be a little tighter than the cd you have although i dont think i have heard anything on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chris-dax Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 i have the albums; out louder (2006) and last chance to dance trance (1999) and i like just about everything on them as well as anything i hear on sirius 17, jam_on by them. that is their basic style tho, just more jam than structure. that newer cd might be a little tighter than the cd you have although i dont think i have heard anything on it. thanks - I'll take a look around... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkee1 Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Right, He is! Yoda, I am! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LO_RYDER Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Funk is soooooo broad "these days". I mean somebody named Elvis Costello as a funk artist. WTF??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevilRaysFan Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Hell, I'd just tell the drummer to "GIMME A BEAT!!!":cool: yup:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members y-o-y Posted August 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 Funk is soooooo broad "these days". I mean somebody named Elvis Costello as a funk artist. WTF??? Exactly why I asked here...the term funk has become somewhat nebulous - to me at least. I think Brother Mango nailed it by saying many of the suggestions are "funky", but not "funk". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassred Posted August 16, 2007 Members Share Posted August 16, 2007 THere's a lot to be said for some good old fingerstyle funk too. Slap and pop can get old really quickly, but you nai the feel down and let i rip, you can keep it funky all night long! I need to getme some Booker T, I used to jam to that stuff all the time... anyone know anything about the STAX documentary , like where I ca find a copy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billystrat Posted August 17, 2007 Members Share Posted August 17, 2007 How about "What is Hip?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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