Funk gods be praised, Parliament bassist Bootsy Collins is back in the game. He has a new album coming out on October 27th, and it’s packed to the gills with amazing supporting artists, including Doug E Fresh, Chuck D and even, bizarrely, Buckethead. There’s also a track called Bass-Rigged System which features Victor Wooten, Stanley Clarke and Manou Gallo. Anyone with a formative knowledge of contemporary jazz and funk will surely understand just how ridiculous that combination is.
We’ll have to wait a while before hearing it, but in the mean time we’ve got something almost as good in the form of Hot Saucer. This brilliantly named track has all the hallmarks of Collins’ early work. The production is perhaps a bit more polished, but the bass is phat as phat can be and Musiq Soulchild’s vocal is intoxicating. Big Daddy Kane also provides a perfectly toned guest verse, his old-school stylings making him the ideal pick for such a classically funky jam.
The album itself, World Wide Funk, is billed as a call to arms as well as a straight up funk record. Collins himself is an outspoken activist for anti-bullying measures and help for disadvantaged children. Reportedly, a great deal of that ethos comes through in the album. With the lines between hip-hop, jazz and funk continually blurring, it’s gratifying to see that veterans like Collins are still bringing out fresh material and using it as a way of collaborating with other amazing artists.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
