Funky flute music
March 19, 2021 7:29 AM   Subscribe

I love funk music with a flute in it. Can you recommend some more songs and bands with funky flutes?
posted by msbrauer to Media & Arts (29 answers total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Herbie Mann is your man.
posted by pipeski at 7:36 AM on March 19, 2021 [4 favorites]


Response by poster: Herbie Mann is your man.

Yes! Would love to hear about some great samples of him, too.
posted by msbrauer at 7:44 AM on March 19, 2021


You can always count on Karl Denson! I didn't have to seek out the best examples but these give an idea of his craft: Flute Down, Seven Nation Army
posted by Don_K at 7:49 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


I should add that Karl Denson plays funky flute and sax in multiple bands he leads like Greyboy Allstars, Galactic, and Tiny Universe, which are all great! Sample of Galactic
posted by Don_K at 7:51 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


"Memphis Underground" is probably Herbie Mann's best known song. If you like that, then you could probably pick out anything of his and be satisfied.

I don't know enough Lizzo to recommend anything specific, but she plays flute, and plays it in her Tiny Desk Concert.

And then there's her great homage to the "jazz flute" scene in Anchorman.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:53 AM on March 19, 2021 [2 favorites]


I love Cymande's "Dove", even though the flute doesn't come in for about seven minutes.
posted by GamblingBlues at 7:53 AM on March 19, 2021


Bobbi Humphrey comes at it from a jazz direction, but she can get funky. The Mizell Brothers-produced Blacks and Blues is probably her funkiest album--check out 'Jasper County Man' and 'Harlem River Drive.' She gets sampled a lot, too.

Here's a Spotify playlist, and a couple Mixcloud mixes, that might have some things you like.
posted by box at 8:04 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


Con Funk Shun has some pretty insouciant flute solos such as in Chase Me.
posted by norm at 8:12 AM on March 19, 2021


It may be bringing coal to Newcastle but have some Lizzo if you don't know about her already.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:22 AM on March 19, 2021 [2 favorites]


I love the flute (played by Rudy Costa) on a lot of the tracks on Taj Mahal's album Satisfied 'n Tickled Too.

Easy To Love is my favorite.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:32 AM on March 19, 2021


I was gonna recommend Herbie Mann but was beat to the punch but I can at least mention that the album art for Push Push is a velvet print of a solarized image of people banging. It is extremely horny flute music.
posted by Ferreous at 8:47 AM on March 19, 2021


St Germain, So Flute
posted by niicholas at 8:50 AM on March 19, 2021


You might want to look into Jethro Tull (though it's possible I'm not clear on how you're defining funk). I'd start with Living in the Past. If you like that, their Thick as a Brick is a great song with lots of flute, but it's 45 minutes long.
posted by FencingGal at 8:53 AM on March 19, 2021


Gil! Scott! Heron!

The Bottle, for starters.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:14 AM on March 19, 2021


As the only male flute player in a 1970's era high school marching band, I was DESPERATE for role models, besides the guy from Jethro Tull, and I found him in Hubert Laws.

"The Chicago Theme"

"Land of Passion"
"It Happens Everyday"

Listening to these makes me want to start playing again!
posted by Bill Watches Movies Podcast at 9:19 AM on March 19, 2021 [2 favorites]


I did not know that flute + funk was a pairing, so thank you for your links. And like FencingGal said, it may not be anybody's definition of "funk" but Ian Anderson (the flautist/singer from Jethro Tull) put out an album with an orchestra + flute that I've always liked. 1995's Divinities; not funk per se but flute-heavy with lots of moving parts.
posted by adekllny at 10:13 AM on March 19, 2021


Herbie Mann is your man.
Yes! Would love to hear about some great samples of him, too.


You could look through the entry at WhoSampled for Herbie Mann to find samples of him. Could do the same with other suggestions here too.
posted by googly at 10:22 AM on March 19, 2021


Some pretty good flute work in Vanessa Williams' cover of "Work to Do" (originally by Isley Brothers and famously also done by Average White Band without flute).
posted by slkinsey at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2021


People Under the Stairs - Schooled in the Trade (flute sample kicks in about halfway through)
Mr. Scruff - Chicken in a Box
posted by Leontine at 10:49 AM on March 19, 2021


Check out Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
posted by TrialByMedia at 11:26 AM on March 19, 2021 [1 favorite]


This is such a great question. I played flute for years in my boring Catholic school band and despised the dreary, somber pieces we had to play, so I always sought out flutes doing something different and fun.

You've already got the biggest recommendation: Herbie Mann is the king of this world. He's hugely prolific and played all kinds of genres but I'd vote for Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty and Hold On, I'm Comin' as his best funky flute albums.

I'd also add Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who did some super cool flute stuff when he wasn't busy creating genres of music with his sax. His cover of Ain't No Sunshine , as an example, is amazing. He did a full album of flute music, I Talk With the Spirits; it's really a jazz album, but being Kirk, also has lots of innovative proto-funk stuff.

And as mentioned, Jethro Tull is pretty great - Bourée was the first specific song that came to mind. And one of their better known flute-focused songs, Serenade to a Cuckoo, is a cover of an original by Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Finally, there's a couple off-the-beaten-path tracks I can recommend.

There was once a hyperlefty experimental rap group in Canada called Warsawpack that did a lot of flute stuff both as a backing instrument and in solos. Lotus Position is an example of the latter and I still think it's awesome.

And just because I wish they'd get more attention, Blind Mr Jones was a shoegaze-ish band from the early 90s who had a flute and used it to some pretty great effect on, e.g., Sisters.
posted by ZaphodB at 11:41 AM on March 19, 2021


Jazz reedist Joe Thomas put out a couple of funk- and soul-oriented records as "The Ebony Godfather": 1 2 (I don't think there's actually any moog on "Moog Fluting".

You might recognize Hermeto Pascoal from this celebrated clip. He's had a long career and plays lots of different instruments, so it might take a little digging to find what you like. 1 2 3 4
posted by hydrophonic at 12:25 PM on March 19, 2021


Yusef Lateef was a jazz flautist who made some great R&B albums in the 70s
posted by Chenko at 1:16 PM on March 19, 2021 [2 favorites]


Chris Hinze - Saliah if you like a crossover European/African vibe in your funk.
posted by Kosmob0t at 2:18 PM on March 19, 2021


I dont know from funk, but you might like Jose Valentino.
posted by SemiSalt at 6:41 AM on March 20, 2021


Probably some repeats from the above suggestions but check out this Spotify playlist: Flutey Bois. It starts out with Howlin' for Judy by Jeremy Steig which is wall to wall funky flute.
posted by vespabelle at 9:14 AM on March 20, 2021 [1 favorite]


Oh man, I love me some funky flute. These are all albums I own personally, but other albums by these artists would probably also fit the bill:

The Rubáiyát Of Dorothy Ashby
Wess To Memphis
Yusef Lateef's Detroit
Jeremy Steig - Legwork
The Charles Lloyd Quartet - Love-In
Tim Weisberg
Stereolab - "One Note Samba/Surfboard" (w. Herbie Mann)
The Chico Hamilton Quintet - Passin' Through
Quincy Jones - Smackwater Jack
Kool & The Gang - Wild and Peaceful
Deodato - Prelude

If you're into jazz, pretty much anything from the CTI/Kudu catalogue is going to have flute on it somewhere...
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:38 AM on March 20, 2021 [2 favorites]


An unusual turn for the Skatalites, but check out Fugitive Dub.
posted by Ian Scuffling at 12:10 PM on March 20, 2021


Were I allowed only one funky flute jam to listen to ever again, it would be "Mama Soul" by Harold Alexander.

But fortunately the world is a kinder place, there is an online thread with deep flute jam resources, the I Love Music Rolling Flute Jams 2016 thread and associated Spotify playlist.
posted by bendybendy at 2:41 PM on March 22, 2021


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