Blue Funk

Blue Funk

A heavyweight collection of deep grooves, soul-jazz rhythms, and street-level funk, Blue Funk explores the electrifying moment when jazz musicians fully embraced the rhythms and attitude of late 1960s and early 1970s funk music. Drawn from the legendary Blue Note Records catalogue, the compilation captures the label’s transformation from hard bop sophistication into raw, groove-focused experimentation.

Featuring artists such as Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Blue Mitchell, Ronnie Foster, and Bobby Hutcherson, the album blends jazz improvisation with heavy backbeats, electric instrumentation, organ grooves, and socially conscious soul influences.

Much of the material reflects the crossover energy of the era, with jazz musicians reinterpreting funk and soul classics while maintaining the improvisational freedom and musicianship that defined Blue Note recordings. Covers of songs associated with James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, and The Meters sit comfortably alongside original compositions built around infectious basslines, tight rhythm sections, and dancefloor-ready grooves.

From smoky Hammond organ workouts to percussion-heavy funk jams and laid-back electric jazz, Blue Funk is an essential collection for fans of rare groove, soul jazz, and classic jazz-funk fusion.

Tracklist:

1. Blue Mitchell – Who Dun It? – 3:00
2. Lou Donaldson – Say It Loud (I’m Black And I’m Proud) – 7:41
3. Big John Patton – Cissy Strut – 6:58
4. Grant Green – Ease Back – 5:47
5. Jack McDuff – Hunk O’ Funk – 6:02
6. Candido – Tic Tac Toe – 4:04
7. Richard “Groove” Holmes – Down Home Funk – 4:13
8. Grant Green – Cantaloupe Woman – 5:34
9. Grant Green – I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I’ll Get It Myself) – 5:55
10. Ronnie Foster – Don’t Knock My Love – 4:32
11. Lou Donaldson – If There’s A Hell Below – 9:05
12. Reuben Wilson – Bambu – 8:05
13. Bobby Hutcherson – Family Affair – 4:27