The State of Funk are based upon the very best of the ultra groovy repertoire developed and driven by the pioneering music of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter during the 70s and 80s.
In the 1970s, the trailblazing keyboard virtuoso and composer Herbie Hancock formed the seminal funkânâjazz band, The Headhunters. Released in October 1973, their hugely influential debut album âHead Huntersâ sold more than a million copies and went on to become the biggest selling jazz album of all time. Prior to establishing The Headhunters, Hancock had spent much of the late 1960s playing together with Miles Davis, redefining the landscape of avant-garde jazz and in doing so becoming the vanguard of the avant-garde concept within music. But with his ties to Milesâ band cut and a new-found thirst for the recent electrification of jazz, Hancock embraced wholeheartedly the fusion of jazz with funk and rock and, together with Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra enjoyed the same status and commercial success as the leading rock bands of the time....
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The State of Funk are based upon the very best of the ultra groovy repertoire developed and driven by the pioneering music of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter during the 70s and 80s.
In the 1970s, the trailblazing keyboard virtuoso and composer Herbie Hancock formed the seminal funkânâjazz band, The Headhunters. Released in October 1973, their hugely influential debut album âHead Huntersâ sold more than a million copies and went on to become the biggest selling jazz album of all time. Prior to establishing The Headhunters, Hancock had spent much of the late 1960s playing together with Miles Davis, redefining the landscape of avant-garde jazz and in doing so becoming the vanguard of the avant-garde concept within music. But with his ties to Milesâ band cut and a new-found thirst for the recent electrification of jazz, Hancock embraced wholeheartedly the fusion of jazz with funk and rock and, together with Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra enjoyed the same status and commercial success as the leading rock bands of the time.
These three giants of the radical jazz-fusion sound were simultaneously able to embrace huge audiences, yet still maintain their innovative approach to exploring new musical avenues. For example, The Headhunters drummer Harvey Mason invented a highly syncopated style of playing which can be considered to represent one of the last true innovations in modern music. Of course, there have been countless equally crucial developments since then, but arguably these can be viewed more as fusions of pre-existing genres and styles as opposed to ground breaking changes in the evolution of music. Itâs with this spirit of true innovation in mind, that The State of Funk emerge to follow in the footsteps of the legendary pioneers by energising the funk revival.
The State of Funk live show gives the audience an irresistible and immersive taste of the rhythmic energy that only authentic funk can generate. A joyful and utterly infectious groove pulses across the dance floor bringing people together in a collective celebration of the very essence of funk. The plan isnât to emphasise the complexities of jazz or funk but instead to channel the true spirit of the music as movement, possessing the body and uniting the people!
Itâs fair to say that 70s funk and jazz has been the musical lifeblood of all three members of The State of Funk, nurtured through a trio of diverse lifetimes and projected deep from within their hearts.
The State of Funk tager afsĂŚt i et repertoire, der er et âbest-ofâ det ultra groovy funk-pioner arbejde, som Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul og Wayne Shorter kastede sig ud i gennem 70âerne og 80âerne.
Den stilskabende tangent-virtuos og komponist Herbie Hancock dannede i 1970âerne det groovy funk´nâjazz-band âHead Huntersâ. Deres første album solgte mere end en million eksemplarer ved udgivelsen i 1973, og blev dermed det mest solgte jazzalbum nogensinde. Indtil da havde Herbie Hancock igennem sen-60âerne i samarbejde med Miles Davis redefineret avantgarde jazz og ĂĽbnet og udvidet avantgarde begrebet. Men med sin løsriven fra Milesâ band, samtidig med elektrificeringen af jazzen og dens sammensmeltning med funk- og rockmusik, fik Herbie Hancock med Head Hunters og andre elektriske jazzbands som Weather Report og Mahavishnu Orcestre samme status som de største rockbands og opnĂĽede hermed det helt store publikum.
Her var der altsĂĽ tale om retningsangivende og stilskabende bands, der kunne omfavne et bredt publikum samtidig med, at de formĂĽede at opfinde helt nye musikalske veje. For eksempel opfandt Head Hunterâs trommeslager â Harvey Mason â en meget synkoperet spillestil, som man meget vel kan kalde en af de sidste nye mĂĽder at spille og høre musik pĂĽ. Med det skal forstĂĽs, at naturligvis er der komponeret musik siden, men der er bare ikke rigtig sket sĂĽ stor en nyskabende udvikling, men generelt snarere en sammensmeltning af genrer. Det er derfor at âThe State Of Funkâ tager trĂĽden op for at ĂĽbne op for den udvikling vi oplever i dag med funk-musikkens genoplivelse.
Under en koncert med The State of Funk fĂĽr publikum mulighed for at mĂŚrke den tilstand af rytmisk medrivelse og et opslugende energisk ânuâ, som rigtig funk kan skabe. NĂĽr publikum oplever tilstanden âThe State of Funkâ rammes de af en følelse af fĂŚllesskab igennem den smittende danseglĂŚde, der er funks vĂŚsen. Udgangspunktet er absolut ikke at gøre funk eller jazz indviklet, men tvĂŚrtimod at kropsliggøre den. For det er her musikkens vĂŚsen bor; i hele kroppen.
Om The State of Funk:
For musikerne hver isĂŚr gĂŚlder det, at 70âer funk og jazz altid har vĂŚret deres âhjertebarnâ, som de har fĂĽet ind med modermĂŚlken. Derfor er denne genre blevet dyrket igennem hele livet, og bliver spillet lige fra hjertet.
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