Soul-Funk
tagStarted 1970Peak 1972-1980Last big hit 1983
Located in 1 route
Vocal-led soul that swings on a jazz-schooled funk band: deep horn charts, organ and electric piano, congas and a snapping backbeat under expressive lead singing and harmony. Warmer and more melodic than raw funk, it foregrounds the song and the singer while the rhythm section stays in a relentless groove.
History
Emerged as soul writers and arrangers absorbed funk's rhythmic ideas without abandoning melody. Bay Area's Tower of Power, Curtis Mayfield's Chicago productions and L.A.'s War fused horns, social lyrics and Latin percussion into a sophisticated groove. The style carried socially conscious soul through the '70s and shaped countless smoother R&B records.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/funk-ma0000002590
- https://www.britannica.com/art/soul-music