Finding the Funk

Nelson George
2014-01-31


6.8
78 min

Finding the Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music. Starting with Funk's roots in Jazz and the James Brown bands of the '60s we travel to the Bay Area to celebrate Sly & the Family Stone, then to Dayton the birthplace of so many of Funk's originators, then onto Detroit where from the ashes of Motown, P-Funk's Mothership arose, and then to LA where a new crop of musicians are creating their own Funk history. On our journey into Funk, we talk to legends Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Nona Hendryx, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, and Steve Arrington and their descendants Mike D, D'Angelo, Sheila E, Shock G and Sade's Stuart Matthewman. Narrated by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson of the Roots.

Cast

Name Character Team
Questlove Self Unowned
James Brown Self Unowned
George Clinton Self Unowned
Bootsy Collins Self Unowned
Sly Stone Himself Unowned
Nile Rodgers Self Unowned
D'Angelo Himself Unowned
Bernie Worrell Self Unowned
Michael Diamond Himself Unowned
Sheila E. Herself Unowned
Arthur Baker Himself Unowned
James Mtume Himself Unowned
Shock G Himself Unowned
Vernon Reid Himself Unowned
Steve Arrington Unowned
Nona Hendryx Unowned