Marvelous Funkshun: The Cut-and-Paste Edition!
One of the most impressive aspects of the jam scene is the way in which musicians substitute in other bands in a nearly seamless capacity. There have been times when you’ve seen a band knowing that one of its members wasn’t there, but the person who filled in did so perfectly. And sometimes it’s happened without your even knowing it.
This is also so impressive to us out in the audience..
We saw it happen again Saturday at Dunedin Brewery (August 17), when Wilmington, North Carolina quintet Marvelous Funkshun completed the second half of their weekend Florida trip. This is the sixth year for the band, who have a great self-titled EP to their credit in addition to hundreds of shows and many festival appearances.
First, Michael Kinchen, the band’s keyboard player, could not make the date. In his stead we got the one and only Ike Stubblefield, the master whose lengthy resume includes work with the Motown review, countless soul and R&B artists, and jazz and rock musicians.
When guitarist and vocalist Sam Robinson booked the short Florida run, he was unaware that pedal steel player Chris Johnson would be at the Philly Folk Fest playing with his other band, The Lee Boys. Fortunately, there must be a fountain of pedal steel players in south Florida somewhere, the home of Johnson and other masters such as Roosevelt Collier and A.J. Ghent. So Robinson contacted Durell Randolph to take the chair.
While we’re at it, drummer Camry Harris has been with Marvelous Funkshun just a year. And yet, with two subs and a relative newbie, the band played three stomping sets which kept the brewery dancing, and (almost) no one was the wiser.
The band wove together original tunes and standards from the funk, rock, and jam catalogs as well, kicking out with Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie’s “Red Beans and Rice” segueing into “Liquor Store” from the band’s EP. Original “$100 Bottles of Wine” appeared before the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ tune “Soul to Squeeze.” To close set one, they sandwiched “Hey Joe” in between Dead favorites “Fire on the Mountain” and “Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower.” Stubblefield had a fine solo on “Hey Joe,” as did Randolph. Robinson handles the lead vocals for the band, but bass player Will Bagley offered fine vocal backing on songs such as “Franklin’s Tower.”
When you have a pedal steel player, you know the gospel is going to pour out at some point. Set two began with righteous work from Stubblefield on organ on “Memoria,” another song from the band’s EP. And Randolph made sure we were in church as he took the jam into “Amazing Grace” and “When the Saints Go Marching In” before returning to “Memoria.” And what better way to follow that — and get people dancing — than with… (wait for it)… “Word Up”! Stubblefield soloed again, then Randolph, and Stubblefield again, even longer this time.
“Deep Ellum Blues” was blast, Bagley with a lovely solo and a great section with Randolph playing and Stubblefield vamping underneath. Camry Harris was a ball of enthusiasm at the drum kit, delighting fans with his boundless energy. After a really solid “The Chicken,” the Pee Wee Ellis classic,” MF closed set two with a dancing “Shakedown Street.” Robinson, who had offered numerous fine solos, got a really nice tone on this one.
Set three promised to be short and sweet. MF caught everyone’s attention with “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” (Tomoyasu Hotei tune used in Kill Bill Vol. 1), using that as the intro to “Just Got Paid” (ZZ Top). THAT was fun. Robinson next rolled through “Sympathy for the Devil.” Original tune “Wastin’ Time” yielded to “Church Jam,” Randolph in the lead. Then he and Stubblefield hooked up, and somehow the uptempo jam went double-time. WHOA!
With that, Robinson bid us good night, except that Randolph, still seated, began to introduce “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” We didn’t have to be asked twice; we all began hooting and hollering. It was fabulous. Bagley and Harris laid down the nasty bottom, Robinson sang and shredded, and then he stood back out of the way as Stubblefield TORE. IT. UP. Followed by Randolph, who got the last word.
Not bad for a “pick-up” band!
[ONE: Red Beans and Rice (Bernard Purdie) > Liquor Store, Beanie, $100 Bottles of Wine, Soul to Squeeze (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Fire On the Mountain, Hey Joe, Slipknot! > Franklin’s Tower; TWO: Memoria > Amazing Grace > When the Saints Come Marching In > Memoria, Word Up, Deep Ellum Blues, Feelin’ Alright, The Chicken, Rest My Bones, Shakedown Street; THREE: Battle Without Honor or Humanity > Just Got Paid, Sympathy for the Devil, Wastin’ Time > Church Jam, Voodoo Child (Slight Return)]
