After exploring Turkish folk music on their sophomore release In the Buzz Bag, Brooklyn Funk Essentials returned to the basics for the more hard funk-oriented follow-up, Make 'Em Like It. Of course, for Brooklyn Funk Essentials, the "basics" are still pretty eclectic, with reggae, hip-hop beats and scratching, hard bop, and salsa all creeping their way into the group's retro-funk and acid jazz. Soulful female vocals sit alongside American-style raps and Jamaican toasts, and the live instrumenta...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08

Their moniker is deceptive because this huge (23-piece) outfit deals in everything from global dub ("Istanbul Twilight") to Middle-Eastern bass-and-drums ("By and Bye"). While this far-flung stylistic sampling might result in havoc, these folks keep it real by focusing on the groove. When they do kick into a straight-ahead funk riff on the title track, even this is peppered with their clever melding of Eastern motifs and dancehall vocals. This is something else, and that's a good thing. ~ Tim Sheridan, ...   [ read more ]

CD $17.08