What makes a funky piece... funky?

[f.guerrieri]

@Gio

The real answer is always time consuming and complicated and not amenable to a one hour lesson. That’s why I went away with a portable Funk History lesson… and the homework of listening and transcribing forever. Yes yes yes to this.

As they say

There’s no royal road to … funk!

[joergkutter]

You’re welcome, @quadfather

[seangking]

Thanks for this brave and great question that has generated so many awesome responses! The last two hours of my life simply vanished (in a good way) while I was funkin’ around with all the stuff in this thread!

[bob.oconnor1]

I had tickets to see them but they canceled due to COVID.

Now waiting to see when they are back in my neck of the woods.

@KenKnight

I would have used Scary Pockets as a perfect example of making anything funky. Seeing them live in August - can’t wait.

[f.guerrieri]

You are welcome! I am glad that you found some useful insights thanks to my naivete!

A lot of things to try, study and listen to!

[eric.kiser]

@Gio That’s… amazing. I have so many questions.

How did you end up in a position to work with Bobby Vega?

What was the nature of the relationship that he would hand you all of that to study?

When you gave it back did you call him up and say, “Hey Bob. I’m in the neighborhood and I want drop off all this stuff you loaned me a couple of years ago.”

What a really cool thing to get to do.

[Gio]

@eric.kiser

How did you end up in a position to work with Bobby Vega?

I approached him for lessons after he played a bass clinic at the store where I taught. I had a student recital previously, and then my band - Toast Machine played a song or two. It was a big beefy bass day!
He was really impressed… not by my band… but by the students. I had a killer crew of kids at the time. So he gave me his number and said to call him up.

Most legends outside of the pop music sphere (or side-players to the pop music sphere) are tremendously open and approachable, I’ve found.

@eric.kiser

What was the nature of the relationship that he would hand you all of that to study?

I’m pretty sure he just didn’t know what else to do.
It was clear to both of us that what I wanted wasn’t going to happen in lessons - I knew the notes and the scales - I needed to learn the specifics of a genre and it’s language. So he gave me what tools he could.
And made me PROMISE to get them back.

We lived about 45 minutes from each other at the time.

@eric.kiser

When you gave it back did you call him up and say, “Hey Bob. I’m in the neighborhood and I want drop off all this stuff you loaned me a couple of years ago.”

I’m the worst person to lend things to.
I either lose them or break them. I won’t take things from people unless they are fully aware that they are, pretty much, giving me the thing they think they are “lending” me.
But I knew Bobby wanted these back.
I kept them separate and safe and only broke 3 or 4 of the CD jewel cases.
He followed up with me on them. A few messages on my phone to the effect of “hey, I want my CDs back…”

He was working with EMG at the time, so there were plenty of opportunities to for us to meet up and exchange the discs.

@eric.kiser

What a really cool thing to get to do.

Yes.
He was a real sweetheart to me. We did an on camera interview in the early, early days of EMG TV.
When EMG TV moved from a video library hosted on EMGs site to their YouTube channel… I think I got cut. (weeps)
I know the footage of me playing bass and hanging out with Bobby Vega exists somewhere… but I don’t know where.

[eric.kiser]

Man, that is all so cool. Thanks for filling in the details.