Funk, Inc.

Highly regarded among soul-jazz enthusiasts, the organ-driven combo Funk, Inc. carved out a reputation for its accessible, groove-centered fusion of jazz, funk and R&B. Organist Bobby Watley assembled the band in Indianapolis in 1969, bringing aboard tenor saxophonist Eugene Barr, guitarist Steve Weakley, drummer Jimmy Munford and conga player Cecil Hunt. Early in the 1970s producer Bob Porter, long admired for his work, discovered the original quintet, secured them a Prestige contract and oversaw the five albums that followed. While the first three releases—Funk, Inc., Chicken Lickin’ and Hangin’ Out—emphasized extended improvisation, the group faltered mid-decade by embracing denser production values, heavier arrangements and backing vocalists. Internal friction mounted under this polished style, prompting the original lineup to disband in 1976. Watley kept performing solo club dates across the Midwest until the mid-1990s, when renewed interest sparked by Britain’s acid-jazz movement prompted him to revive Funk, Inc. The reconstituted unit retained Cecil Hunt and added alto and tenor saxophonist Teddy Patterson, guitarist Doug Swanigan and drummer Phil Brines; by then both Jimmy Munford and Eugene Barr had passed away. Back on Prestige, the band tracked its first album in twenty-one years, Urban Renewal, during 1995 sessions. Throughout that same decade Fantasy also reissued several of the group’s earlier Prestige titles on compact disc.