Defunkt is an American musical group founded by the trombonist and singer Joseph Bowie in 1978 in New York City.[1] Their music touches on elements of punk rock, funk, and jazz.[2]
Defunkt | |
|---|---|
 Defunkt in 1981 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Members | Joseph Bowie Kim Clarke Ronnie Drayton Bill Bickford John Mulkerin Kenny Martin |
| Past members | See below |
| Website | josephbowie |
Career
editJoseph Bowie is the brother of big band musician Byron Bowie and Art Ensemble of Chicago co-founder Lester Bowie. Joseph, who had previously worked as a sideman for various 1970s jazz musicians,[3] founded Defunkt in 1978 with members of a band that had backed James Chance.[4] The new group's original focus was on danceable jazz music.[2] Joseph Bowie remains the only consistent member of the group over its history; he has been noted for displaying the influence of far-ranging musicians like Ornette Coleman, James Brown, and Joe Strummer.[3]
The first incarnation of the group was active in New York City's "No Wave" radical underground music scene,[2][3] which also included fusion-oriented groups like Material and Sonic Youth.[5] Joseph's saxophonist brother Bryon,[6] bassist Melvin Gibbs[7] and future Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid[5] were early contributors. The group's debut self-titled album was released in 1980 and combined the band's original jazz focus with soul, funk, rock, and blues.[8] That album was particularly popular in Eastern Europe and Japan.[3] Their second album Thermonuclear Sweat followed in 1982.[9]
Bowie disbanded the group in 1983 due to a lack of mainstream success, and retired to the island of St. Croix for a few years.[3] He returned to New York in 1986 and assembled a new Defunkt lineup, with the addition of multiple singers and a large horn section to pursue a new focus on combining 1930s big band and swing music with 1970s funk.[2] This incarnation of the group, with many lineup changes under Bowie's leadership, has released several additional studio albums, starting with In America in 1988.[10] Their latest album, Mastervolt, was released in 2015.[3]
Musical style
editAllMusic described the Defunkt's music as "some of the most adventurous sounds of the last quarter of the 20th century."[2] Trouser Press has praised the group's later works for "a dynamic rock-funk-jazz concoction of popping bass, neck-melting guitar [...] and Bowie's inventive trombone figures and up-close-and-personable vocals."[4]
Discography
edit- Defunkt (1980)
- The Razor's Edge (12"-Maxi-Single, 1981)
- Thermonuclear Sweat (1982)
- In America (1988)
- Avoid the Funk: a Defunkt Anthology (Compilation, 1988)
- Heroes (1990)
- Live at the Knitting Factory (Live, 1991)
- Crisis (1992)
- Cum Funky (1993)
- Live and Reunified (Live, 1993)
- A Blues Tribute to Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix (1994)
- One World (1995)[1]
- Defunkt live in Stuttgart (Live, 1996)
- The Legend of Defunkt, Volume 1 (Compilation, 2001)
- Defunkt – The Legend Continues (2001)
- Defunkt Live in Europe (Live-Doppelalbum, 2002)
- Journey (2004)
- Defunkt + Thermonuclear Sweat (2005)
- Mastervolt (2015)
- Live at Channel Zero (2016)
Members
editCurrent
edit
- Joseph Bowie – trombone, vocals
- Kim Clarke – bass
- Bill Bickford – guitar
- John Mulkerin – trumpet
- Kenny Martin – drums
Former
edit- Ronny Drayton – guitar
- Kelvyn Bell – guitar
- Ayodele Maakheru (Martin Aubert) – guitar
- Vernon Reid – guitar
- Richard Martin – guitar
- Rocco Zifarelli - guitar
- Melvin Gibbs – bass
- Ron Mac Jenkins – bass
- Reggie Washington – bass
- Ted Daniels – trumpet
- Byron Bowie – saxophone
- Luther Thomas – saxophone
- Charles Green – saxophone
- Alex Harding – baritone saxophone
- Ronnie Burrage – drums
- Rishard Lampese – guitar
- Skoota Warner – drums
- Tobias Ralph – drums
- Kahil El'Zabar – percussion
- Kelli Sae – vocals
- Martin Fischer – keyboards
- Marcus Persiani – keyboards
- Kevin Bents – keyboards
- Bahnamous Bowie – keyboards
- Adam Klipple – keyboards
- Cliff Branch – keyboards
References
edit- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 152. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
- ^ a b c d e Harris, Craig. "Defunkt | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "All That Jazz and Then Some: An Interview with Defunkt's Joseph Bowie". PopMatters. May 5, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ a b "Defunkt". Trouser Press. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Fricke, David (June 12, 2015). "Vernon Reid on Ornette Coleman: He Set a Lot of People Free". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "Defunkt: Defunkt + / Thermonuclear Sweat +". PopMatters. November 7, 2005. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Cohan, Brad (April 27, 2019). "Melvin Gibbs Isn't Looking Back". JazzTimes. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Defunkt – Defunkt | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved November 18, 2020
- ^ Thermonuclear Sweat – Defunkt | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved November 18, 2020
- ^ In America – Defunkt | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved November 18, 2020
