The Roots of Funk | Tucker & Bloom Bags
March 04, 2020

The Roots of Funk

Dive into a little music history as Brer Sunshine sits down with Ramsey Jones; drummer, collector, music historian, and style guru. He grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn listening to a little bit of everything, but the psychedelic sounds of The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix especially took hold. Music wasn’t uncommon to the rest of the family. His younger brother Russell is the icon Ol’ Dirty Bastard who, with his cousins known as RZA and GZA, formed Wu-Tang Clan, one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. Ramsey has performed on albums by Wu-Tang-Clan, Vernon Reid, Dream Time, Method Man, and Falu. His own bands include Funk Face, Blk Vampires, and Abstract. He can also be found on tour with GZA and RZA from time to time.

In this two-part episode we discuss the historical the roots of funk spread throughout the world. These roots reach deep into the slave trade of the west indies as well as the United States through New Orleans. You’ll hear funk music’s travels from New Orleans, Jamaica, Africa, Europe, and throughout the world.

Enjoy!