Best Jazz Funk

Thrust is a 1974 studio album by Herbie Hancock and the follow-up to Head Hunters, continuing his exploration of jazz-funk with the Headhunters ensemble. Its four extended compositions emphasize electric keyboards, layered percussion, bass-driven grooves, and ensemble improvisation. The album is sui...

Herbie Hancock’s *Head Hunters*, released in 1973, is a seminal jazz-funk album. It established a new synthesis of hard bop, funk rhythms, and early electronic instrumentation. The record's innovative use of synthesizers and complex arrangements influenced generations of musicians and remains notabl...

Live at the Sex Machine is a 1971 album by Kool & the Gang, despite its title and presentation not representing a conventional document of one complete concert. Released during the group's early period, it combines funk, soul, and jazz-oriented ensemble playing, with prominent horns, percussion, bas...

John Scofield's “A Go Go” is a significant jazz album from 1998. The recording highlights Scofield’s signature style – a complex fusion of blues, rock, and jazz elements. His playing is notable for its technical skill combined with melodic sensibility supported by strong rhythm sections and vibrant...

Expansions is a 1975 album by keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes. It combines electric piano, synthesizer, saxophone, bass, percussion, and vocals in spacious arrangements that connect spiritual jazz with dance-oriented funk. The title track became closely associated with jazz-fun...

Everybody Loves the Sunshine is a 1976 album credited to Roy Ayers Ubiquity and released by Polydor Records. It blends jazz-funk, soul, electric keyboards, layered vocals, and Ayers's vibraphone, with the relaxed title track becoming its most widely recognized recording. That song has been repeatedl...

It Is What It Is is a 2020 studio album by bassist, singer, and songwriter Thundercat, whose legal name is Stephen Bruner. The record combines jazz fusion, funk, soul, electronic production, humor, and reflections on grief, including material shaped by the death of his friend Mac Miller. Featuring n...

Man-Child is a 1975 album by pianist and keyboardist Herbie Hancock. It extends the electric jazz-funk direction of Head Hunters through layered synthesizers, clavinet, guitars, horns, percussion, and tightly constructed studio grooves. Its large group of contributors includes Bennie Maupin, Paul Ja...

Herbie Hancock’s “Thrust” (1974) is a seminal jazz-funk album notable for its pioneering blend of jazz improvisation and electronically driven rhythms. The record features innovative synthesizer textures and heavily processed electric piano, shaping the evolution of fusion music. It remains influent...

Miles Davis' *On the Corner* (1969) represents a significant shift in jazz. This album showcases Davis’s ambitious exploration of jazz-funk and electronic music, integrating synthesizers and prepared piano with his quintet. Its innovative sound influenced subsequent generations of musicians and rema...

Drunk is a 2017 studio album by American bassist, singer, and songwriter Thundercat. Presented as a long sequence of mostly concise tracks, it blends funk, jazz fusion, R&B, electronic music, humor, and reflections on grief, isolation, and everyday life. Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Michael Mc...

Life on Planet Groove is a live album by American saxophonist Maceo Parker, released in 1992 and recorded in Germany. Parker, known for his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, leads an ensemble through extended performances built around tight grooves, horn lines, improvisation, and audi...

Adam F’s *Colours* is a seminal 1996 drum and bass album blending complex rhythms with elements of jazz fusion and funk. Its innovative use of samples and diverse instrumentation – including horns and strings – established a distinctive crossover sound. The album gained considerable recognition with...

Released in 1994, *Loud Jazz* features guitarist John Scofield leading a dynamic ensemble with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, showcasing a raw, energetic sound blending blues, rock, and hard-bop influences within a largely improvised framework.

Apocalypse is the second studio album by American bassist, singer, and songwriter Thundercat, released in 2013 by Brainfeeder. Produced with Flying Lotus, it combines jazz harmony and bass playing with electronic production, funk, soul, and experimental R&B. Written in the aftermath of the death of...

John Scofield’s *Überjam* (2019) features the guitarist leading a dynamic ensemble including Mark Lettieri, Nate Smith, and Miles Graff, resulting in a vibrant collection of compositions showcasing his signature melodic approach within a modern jazz context.

Roots Revisited is a 1990 album by saxophonist Maceo Parker, released by Verve Records during the revival of his career as a featured solo artist. Parker had previously become known through his work with James Brown and later played with Parliament-Funkadelic. The record places his alto saxophone wi...

The Golden Age of Apocalypse is the 2011 debut solo album by Thundercat, the performing name of Los Angeles bassist and singer Stephen Bruner. Released by Brainfeeder and produced with Flying Lotus, it blends electric-bass virtuosity with jazz fusion, funk, electronic production, and softly layered...

Mo' Roots is a 1991 album by American saxophonist Maceo Parker, released by Verve Records after Roots Revisited. Parker, known for his work with James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic, leads a small ensemble through material grounded in funk, soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues. The record emphasizes hi...

Kool & the Gang is the self-titled debut studio album by the New Jersey group Kool & the Gang, released in 1969. Its largely instrumental performances combine funk rhythms with jazz-derived horn arrangements and ensemble improvisation, reflecting the band's early identity before it adopted the vocal...

“Man-Child,” released in 1977, is a landmark Herbie Hancock album blending post-funk grooves with electronic synthesizers and explorations of spiritual themes, showcasing a significant shift in his musical direction.

Sunlight: Herbie Hancock’s 1973 album blends post-bop sensibilities with funk and electronic textures, featuring prominent use of the ARP synthesizer and exploring themes of spirituality and social commentary within a vibrant musical landscape.

No Stranger to Love is a 1979 studio album by American vibraphonist, composer, and bandleader Roy Ayers, released by Polydor Records. It combines Ayers's jazz-based vibraphone playing with funk rhythms, soul vocals, and polished studio production, continuing the groove-oriented approach of his 1970s...

Released in 1990, *Secrets* by Herbie Hancock blends elements of jazz fusion with funk and R&B, featuring innovative synthesizers and explorations of electronic textures alongside his signature piano work.