I'm going to suggest that everything you need to know about Bootsy Collins' funk pedigree can be summed up in two words. Well, one name, really: James Brown. I would think that touring with the "hardest working man in show business" might teach a musician a thing or two about funk. But, in case more proof of Bootsy's funkiness is required, I point you to his multiple gold and platinum hit records with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.
Funk is a difficult style to describe. It's really more of a feeling. And Bootsy Collins, in the way he performs, in the way he speaks about the music, and even in the clothes he wears, feels the funk. His bass playing drives whatever band he finds himself enhancing; he puts the notes exactly where they feel best. Sometimes, though, it's best to let the masters describe it themselves:
Whether on the stage or off, Bootsy is fully dedicated to his music. He's had an interesting ride: after nearly using the use of his right arm in a biking accident, he decided it was time to clean up his act. Since then he's turned into an educator (recently launching his online "Funk University"), a philanthropist (with the Bootsy Collins Foundation, and its mantra "an instrument for every child") and a prolific composer for television and movie scores. He hasn't lost his funky edge, though; we can expect some classic grooves when he takes the stage in Toronto along with a cast of thousands: vocals, keyboard, guitars, basses, drums and horns. Here's a sample of Bootsy in fine fashion:
What impresses me about Bootsy is not just that he's carried the funk tradition into the 21st century, but that he's been open to taking funk in new directions, working with musicians across genres - punk, jazz, rock, electronica, hip-hop and more. He's worked with Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phil Ramone, Keith Richards, Victor Wooten, Dave Stewart, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Ice Cube, Afrika Bambaataa and Bill Laswell and Motown’s Funk Brothers among others; his Grammy Award came in 2002 when he co-wrote the tune "Weapon of Choice" with Fatboy Slim...which just happens to feature one of the best music videos of all time:
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