The Funk Doc a bit nervous about being in the woods after his trauma in the Ozarks

The topics for the ninth podcast were inspired by a couple of recent events. One of them was the review of The Casual Artscast by the good men at Vox Monitor. Show number 53 examined our little podcast during which the hosts, Eric and Cohry, described us as "very well-educated people" (see the picture to the right for proof). This comment, combined with an experience the Funk Doc had while traveling in the US (and described in detail in the show), led us to a discussion about practical skill versus academic education.

We also touched on some related issues including postmodernist trickery, the shame that we feel as men who can't build a house for ourselves, and the inability of most academics to say the words "I don't know."

We also briefly mentioned some other excellent podcasts (besides Vox Monitor) that listeners should immediately add to their podcast receiver: specifically the Small World Podcast with Bazooka Joe and BicycleMark's Communiqués.

The Old Man taking careful notes on events occuring in the park

The Doc considering the fake ruins

The music in the show was all funk. During the conversation, we asked listeners to let us know which bands out there are producing contemporary funk music. We're not talking about imitations of the old 70's style, but rather existing bands that are laying down solid funky grooves. Are there any out there or did funk die when disco music began?

Since we haven't found much new stuff, two of the three tracks we played were from the 1970's.

The first track was "Hang Up Your Hang-ups" by the great Herbie Hancock. I have to repeat my recommedation to pay special attention to the unbelievable groove that begins after the guitar intro (approximately 18 seconds into the song). If you are not moving some part of your body at this point in the music, consult the Funk Doc immediately.

Later, we played Soulive's "Steppin'," which is a good example of neo-funk (comparable to other groove bands like Greyboy Allstars and Galactic, I guess).

And the final track was Jack McDuff's "Hunk-O-Funk" with some fine and funky organ work.

Before leaving the park and seeking someplace warmer, we also disrespectfully paid our respects to the recently deceased Willie Hutch. He was the man who brought you the classic soul-funk song "Cornbread."

Rather than playing the entire song, we included a small taste of the track and then went back to my apartment to bake some Jiffy cornbread in Willie's honor.

Cornbread is an unknown delicacy in Germany, but fortunately, the Funk Doc had a spare box of Jiffy mix after his recent trip to the States.