Sunday, September 09, 2007

Funky P

On our last night in Luxembourg we went and heard a band (well, it was actually impossible to avoid hearing them) called Funky P. Though listed as Funky Jazz, their lead singer actually claimed at one point that they are not a jazz band. I’m not sure what the definition of Funky is, but it seems to include Jazz amongst its components, or hangers-on.

Maybe you could call them a Faux Jazz Band. (In the same way faux wood blinds are not really wood blinds.) Faux, for those who haven’t been to Luxembourg recently, is a French work used to describe something made to resemble something else. The original French word means false, fake, imitation or artificial. (Always a mine of information.)

Anyway, Funky P, a group of some nine musicians and singers (bass, lead guitar, sax, trumpet, trombone, keyboard, drummer and two singers) were performing in the Abbey Courtyard in the Grund in Luxembourg to a not very large crowd of people. I don’t think this was because they’re no good – in fact, they are very good – but because it just wasn’t really the right place for them. I don’t really know why they hadn’t drawn a larger crowd.

The singers can sing – and dance – the keyboard player is superb (when he gets a chance to b e heard), the sax player is a middle-aged feller with real power, and everyone else in the band performs wonderfully. And loudly. I don’t think the loudness was their issue, really: they were performing in a natural amphitheatre, which didn’t need as much reverb and boom and whathaveyou as they were given. They could almost play acoustically and get away with it. (I realise that ain’t the done thing no more.)

Anyway, apart from being temporarily deafened, I’d really like to hear more of their music (on CD, in the quietness of my own home). I’ve found their site, but I need to know now what’s available to buy. This is one of the things about this holiday: quirky things turn up at every corner, and arouse your interest!

What I almost forgot to say, is that Funky P - the most Phat & Funky Soul/Funk/Pop Band in the Universe is from Luxembourg...! Luxembourg, which likes to give the impression nothing funky could possibly happen there.

The photo of Roosevelt Isaac comes from the Funky P, and as far as I can make out from the legal guff, it's okay for me to publish it here. Hopefully Funky P won't regard my inclusion of it on this blog as a way to make some real money by suing me.
And I've found out that Funky P only have an EP out, with three tracks on it. There has to be more out there somewhere.




7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello Mike-how are you today...I am the lead singer/lyricist for Funky P. You are right. Pretty much like Bootsy and George we took a bunch of Lux jazz cats and put alot of bass fire under them. The problem with Luxembourg and the beauty is they don't know where to put us. the week before were an opener for PINK in Terres Rouge (a rock concert) this affords us the opportunity to reach a wide variety of people (I must say). In Luxembourg we are old but new. (We flew to POPKOMM 2006 to showcase for Lux in Berlin last year). anyway, just wanted to say I am really happy you caught the show and that we will have a full album by next summer. Hey, it ain't easy doing a full time job and singing in an independent band in another country (I live in Germany)

Isaac
keep the funk alive/forever

Anonymous said...

roosevelt.isaac1@ramstein.af.mil

Anonymous said...

By the way, another band I sing for "Bulli Allstars" will open for "The Who" in Hannover - 6 October. It is the 60 year anniversary for the VW Bulli MiniVan. Apparently, "The Who" toured in this thing a thousand years ago..

isaac
www.funkyp.lu
www.sonicjive.com/funkyp

Anonymous said...

And finally, thanks for the love brother...

Mike Crowl said...

Well, more comments to one post than I've ever had! Good to hear from you, Isaac. And thanks for keeping me updated on Funky P's news.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mike,

Googling a bit on Funky P and finding your site. Funny thing is that I was at the same concert as you at the Grund in Luxemburg! And yes, they were great again! (heard them a few times before) Such a pity that there weren't many people there (bad luck for all those people who missed the concert!) Anyway, they played as if there were 10.000!

Ans

Mike Crowl said...

Yes, it was a pity there weren't more people there: seemed as if the whole thing was a bit casual, and hadn't been promoted enough in Luxembourg. And you're right about the band playing as if there were 10,000 - a few of those 10,000 would have been up on the walls of the city listening, because the band could be heard from a long way off.