I stumbled upon the Tokyo Groove version of the Tower Of Power song "What Is Hip?" a couple of weeks ago and it has become the favorite thing I've seen on youtube in the years I've been on youtube. Bravo to these women. Juna Serita is an absolute monster on the bass. I've gone down the youtube rabbit hole for her videos since. You should check also out the Jazz Avengers. It's another all female Japanese group that often does funk . Check out their cover of Average White Band's funky Pick Up The Pieces. Juna is the bass player for them too, at least she was in the 2022 video.
Larry Graham also toured with Prince for a few years. Juna Serita - the bassist here - builds on all the bass slapping technique improvements since Larry invented the style in the 60s. I don't thing Larry ever did double thumbing the way Juna does.
TGJ in this iteration is just fire !!!!! Juna Serita is the goddess of jazz bass, Emi Kanazashi is the closet thing to Patrice Rushen I have ever heard and MiMi on drums gives me echoes of Buddy Rich. But the addition of Shinobu Kawashima playing the Japanese traditional instrument the Tsugaru Shamisen just takes it to another whole level never see or heard before and just fits seamlessly into the composition and gives it an entirely new feel. I'm pretty sure Steve Kupka, Emilio Castillo, John Garibaldi and the rest of Tower of Power would be very pleased. Tokyo and Osaka in Japan have an amazing jazz/funk scene worthy of anywhere on the planet.
Juna Serita (bassist) is a force of nature. She plays with a couple of different bands currently Muses, and The Jazz Avengers. Good reaction!!
I stumbled upon the Tokyo Groove version of the Tower Of Power song "What Is Hip?" a couple of weeks ago and it has become the favorite thing I've seen on youtube in the years I've been on youtube. Bravo to these women. Juna Serita is an absolute monster on the bass. I've gone down the youtube rabbit hole for her videos since. You should check also out the Jazz Avengers. It's another all female Japanese group that often does funk . Check out their cover of Average White Band's funky Pick Up The Pieces. Juna is the bass player for them too, at least she was in the 2022 video.
Larry Graham also toured with Prince for a few years. Juna Serita - the bassist here - builds on all the bass slapping technique improvements since Larry invented the style in the 60s. I don't thing Larry ever did double thumbing the way Juna does.
TGJ in this iteration is just fire !!!!! Juna Serita is the goddess of jazz bass, Emi Kanazashi is the closet thing to Patrice Rushen I have ever heard and MiMi on drums gives me echoes of Buddy Rich. But the addition of Shinobu Kawashima playing the Japanese traditional instrument the Tsugaru Shamisen just takes it to another whole level never see or heard before and just fits seamlessly into the composition and gives it an entirely new feel. I'm pretty sure Steve Kupka, Emilio Castillo, John Garibaldi and the rest of Tower of Power would be very pleased.
Tokyo and Osaka in Japan have an amazing jazz/funk scene worthy of anywhere on the planet.
Deez gals be scraight dope!!! 💪👌
Even though it is synthesized, there is just something about a Hammond B3 organ sound...