15+ hours of Funk at Long Beach Funkfest

The 2nd Annual Long Beach Funkfest ended this morning at 2am in the Rhythm Lounge, with a jam session that included Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.” It began sum 15 hours earlier with Orgone featuring Fanny Franklin doing “Cosmic Slop.” The Ladies of P-Funk headlined and in true p-funk fashion came with the goods and turned it out. It was not an easy thing to do as The Original Stone City Band was taking no prisoners and brought Buffalo’s “Rick James” funk style to the festival as if the “Ladies of the Mary Jane Girls” was the headliner.

Greg Thomas, Norwood Fisher and Novena Carmel (among many many others to be noted later) sat in on an extended version of Parliament’s “Testify”  right after Orgone which set a nice funky foundation.

Much more in between but the true gem of the night was P-Funk. Considering that George Clinton and the P-funk Allstars are touring Europe right now, the “Mob” that showed up last night brought some real heat.  As if Mr. Dewayne Blackbyrd McKnight and Ms Dawn Silva wouldn’t.

Commentary, details, photos and video to come.

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/15-hours-of-funk-at-long-beach-funkfest/

Long Beach Funkfest Schedule (2010)

http://www.lbfunkfest.com/

Pine Stage
11:00am – 12:15pm DJ Gazoo (ANDA)
12:15pm – 1:10pm Orgone
1:10pm – 2:35pm Ervin Arana (Root Down)
2:50pm – 3:40pm Weapon Of Choice
3:40pm – 5:00pm Thomas PM (Ubiquity)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Yo Mama Big Fat Booty
6:00pm – 7:40pm Glenn Red (Afro Funke’)
7:40pm – 8:40pm Bloco Nove

Main Stage
12:00pm – 1:20pm Luman (Bar One)
1:20pm – 2:30pm Big Ol Nasty Getdown
2:30pm – 3:50pm Clifton (Funky Sole)
3:50pm – 4:50pm Stone City Band
5:50pm – 6:15pm DJ Abel (Good Foot)
6:15pm – 7:30pm The Jimmy Castor Bunch
7:30pm – 9:00pm Monalisa (Garth Trinidad Sound)
9:00pm – 10:15pm Ladies Of The P Funk

Rhythm Lounge
12:00pm – 1:00pm Renato (Super Cuts)
1:00pm – 2:00pm Connor Rogan
2:00pm – 3:00pm Gazoo (ANDA)
3:00pm – 4:00pm Laroj
4:00pm – 5:00pm Expo (Root Down)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Bobby Soul
7:00pm – 8:00pm Marvski
8:00pm – 9:00pm Thomas PM (Ubiquity)
9:00pm – 10:00pm Glenn Red (Afro Funke)

DJ Tent
2:00pm – 3:00pm Expo (Root Down)
3:00pm – 4:00pm Marvski
4:00pm – 5:00pm ReMitch (Soul Sessions)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Renato (Super Cuts)
6:00pm – 7:00pm Laroj
7:00pm – 7:20pm Spankie Valentine

7:20pm – 8:00pm Ervin Arana (Root Down)
8:00pm – 9:00pm DJ Abel (Good Foot)

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/long-beach-funkfest-schedule/

Ladies Of P-Funk rehearsal cellphone photo surfaces

A fuzzy cellhone  photo just received by jefferytv apparantly shows Ms Dawn Silva, Jeff Bunn, Barry Chenault and possibly Greg Thomas rehearsing. Another figure is can be made out but is too shadowy to identify.  The source did not reveal the exact Southern California location but confirmed the photo just recently taken. Missing from the photo was Blackbyrd McKnight, the other P-Funk alumni  slated to perform.  

The musicans are in town rehearsing for the Long Beach Funkfest which takes place tomorrow and is free to the public.  The Ladies of P-Funk will headline this year’s event.

http://www.lbfunkfest.com/

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/ladies-of-p-funk-rehearsal-cellphone-photo-surfaces/

Ladies Of P-Funk Rumor Control: Greg Thomas

P-Funk Allstar Horn Greg Thomas

More speculation flew around the social networks this morning as Greg Thomas is rumored to also be joing the Ladies Of P-Funk set at the Long Beach Funkfest. Thomas, who resides in Los Angeles,  has 30+ years providing horns and vocals for George Clinton & The P-funk Allstars.

 “Yeah, Mr Thomas has been singing the lead vocal on Knee Deep for years now, while also supporting other positions in the band” a source says. “Hell one time I think they were short on guitars and singers so Greg got like 19 solos and then sang lead. He is extremely versatile and I’ve seen him play just about every instrument there is!”

Greg Thomas Myspace
“Greg is a musician Whose talent is deeply rooted in African-American culture. Throughout the years he has learned how to perform all types of music from R&B to Hip-Hop,Acid Jazz to Blues to Gospel,Traditional Jazz,Rock n’Roll, to Polkas.However,Jazz-Funk is where his true love lies. Greg began playing music at the age of five,and his musical talents are diverse.”

One thing also notable about Mr Thomas is that he can instantly name the best places to eat in any city in America.

(What makes this rumor interesting is that George Clinton & The P-Funk Allstars are touring Europe right now!)

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/ladies-of-p-funk-rumor-control-greg-thomas/

Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn of P-Funk fame leaves first Blog comment.

Shider sports Steelers cap with Cherokee Bunn

Bass player Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn is noted for his lavish Native American head dress while on stage with Parliament Funkadelic years back.  But today he is noted as the first external person to make a comment at the new jefferytv.com startup blog project.

“We are really excited about utilizing this free technology” says a jefferytv representative  who asked to remain unindentified. “We’ve had “blogs” for years and may have been the first one back in 1997 when the founder started ‘the dailys”‘ the source continues. It seems this may payoff for jefferytv as the organization intergrates its vast internet resources with todays technology and social networks.

Mr Bunn is playing this weekend at the Long Beach Funkfest with “The Ladies Of P-Funk” which is made up of original members (Bunn is an original member also) of “The Brides of Funkenstein” and “Parlet.” In his comment Mr. Bunn relayed that  “Its a love thang” and that they are bringing “Fresh vintage funk for the new world.” This response was to a post about his involvement in the Long Beach Funkfest.

Bunn’s Homepage
Bunn’s Myspace
“As for me, born & raised B-more Maryland, (where you gotta Sho Nuff Bmore Carfeful) to music and beautiful women; a double blessing, a double challenge which I endeavor to live up to. Pops – a jazz musician/trombonist, Moms – an Indian beauty…”
-Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn

(Please note the founder of jefferytv is a huge life long fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and was blown away when he saw the above picture of Mr Garry Shider)

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/jeff-cherokee-bunn-of-p-funk-fame-leaves-first-blog-comment/

McKnight confirms Chenault, Bunn rumor

Legendary guitarist DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight confirmed via a Facebook post that drummer Barry Chenault is sitting in with The Ladies Of P-Funk at the upcoming Long Beach Funkfest on Aug 7th. McKnight also confirmed that there are rehearsals and that Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn is contributing as well.

“Forgot to mention we got Jeff “Cherokee” Bunn Ont the bass and Barry Chenault on the drumz and Eric Levy on Keys. We been rehearsin all week so there you go…” posts Mcknight to a video regarding the Funkfest and P-Funk.

Original Bride Of Funkenstein Dawn Silva will play major parts.

The Ladies Of P-funk is billed “featurung Brides Of Funkenstein and Parlet”

This just in from Facebook:

 “from DAwn’s profile: Jamming at the Long Beach Funk Festival 8/7/10 – showtime 7:30 pm Original Bride of Funkenstein members – Dawn Silva – Dwayne Blackbyrd Mcknight & Jeff Cherokee Bunn -Parlets Jeanette Washington Perkins – and Sue Ann Carwell (Prince)”

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/mcknight-confirms-chenault-bunn-rumor/

Make It Funky Arts & Music Festival

I remembered being here before, it was called “The Funk Rumble.” This festival was much more artsy and less commercial than usual. There was actually more creative activities than food vendors! The crowd was artsy beautiful and colorful and expressive. They had one big main stage and two other spots where dj’s were spinning. They played Flashlight, Theme from the Black Hole and a long long version of Sade’s Paradise and I got lost and went away during all of them.        

I came here to see the world’s best twitterer Novena Carmel and her band BabyStone (she is the daughter of Sly Stone). I rode public transit from the valley to downtown Los Angeles Chinatown. It was only $5 to get in, maybe cause the artsy creative displays were also selling their wares.        

It was good seeing Lauren (met via Weapon Of Choice shows who is playing the Long Beach Funkfest this weekend) who I “watched grow up” in the clubs and meeting her boyfriend who is in the band Simple Citizens . Cool seeing her ecletic group do their thang with her man on stage. I so love this lifestyle. Simple Citizens shouted out the San Fernando Valley many times and had a song about the 101 freeway. I love the 101 freeway and I’m not being sarcastic. Later Babystone sang about Los Angeles also.        

Make It Funky Arts Festival Pulled Pork Sandwich and Diet Coke

 The dj in the back by the food vendors (i had a pulled pork sandwich and diet coke) is where a group of folks were dancing and performed Micheal Jackson’s Thriller Video. The group of people dancing were so diverse and ordinary looking that it gave me chills to see them know every step of this dance.       

 Getting tired I left after Baby Stone and was too weary to figure the busses on my blackberry so I walked the mile or so to Union Station and caught the Red Line. The streets were fairly deserted of pedistrians and the buildings were so very tall. I thought to myself once again that this is so what I’ve always dreamed of. Free and comfortable walking the streets of a major city at night after mixing it up with the funk!        

Ran into pfunkjazz.com and Bobby Easton who were out promoting the Long Beach Funk Festival (Aug 7). Mr Easton is the originator and main thrust behind the LBFF and every time I see him I gesture worshipping him at his feet. What he is doing so important to me I feel guilty that Im not doing more to support.           

Novena Carmel saw my Parliament Funkadelic shirt and said that I should check out the LBFF. She went on to say that she played there last year and I shouted back generic banter. No need for me to tell her I was there last year too and have video and pictures of her performance. No need for me to tell her that I think that she is the world’s best twitterer. I love my afar admiration crush thingys (sometimes talking would just ruin it).      The world's best twitterer    

I found it very interesting cool that subject matter recently significant to me was addressed by a  performer  I primarily went there to see. Sure her song about Los Angeles may have been sarcasm, but it still worked for me. And I think this is truly what art and artists are about, expressing publicly and artistically the things that humanity is experiencing.  

Micheal Jackson’s Thriller Video performance    

Me groovin to Sade’s Paradiase 

An other Story

 My Fesitvals of Funk Week!

Long Beach FunkFest AUG 7th!

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/make-it-funky-arts-music-festival/

A Spirituality Of Mental Freedoms

In a recent YouTube video, a California man ponders a “Spirituality” he developed living on the edges of mainstream society. “It’s way easier to have a completely mainstream lifestyle” says Jeffery Mitchell who is a transplanted Ohioan. “If you are the type of person who can do it. Its impossible if you are not.” He laughs. He recently realized he is not.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgqhJs_Q5Cc

Mitchell is a person who relishes his “years” of “meditation” and deep thinking study he was afforded  during the years he was not working for whatever reason. “Looking back at my life I’ve realized that I got pretty much everything I dreamed of. I didn’t dream of money or riches or big houses. The things in my life now are the things I’ve dreamt about all my life.”

Mitchell goes on to explain he understands the trade off for living his lifestyle. “No assetts!” He exclaims “No assetts or savings or furniture” he laughs. Mitchell does not have a couch or even a bed. His well organized though rather sparse place is stocked almost exclusively with computers, cameras and video equipment. His “bed”  rolls up and the space becomes a video set, comeplete with green screen.

“The freedom to be creative. I’m not talking about the ‘not being allowed’ kind of freedom.  I’m talking about freedom in relation to time (and space) to be creative. Sometimes I think I would die without large amounts of freedom and space to create. Compound that with years of deep study utilizing the most powerful information and networking tool ever (the Internet) along with art and music and another type of consciousness develops.” 

Mitchell goes on to say that he hopes he is contributing to the universe in his endeavors. He seems to deeply hope that he is giving back and that his perspective helps or gets heard by at least one other consciousness.

Permanent link to this article: https://jefferytv.com/a-spirituality-of-mental-freedoms/