Brooklyn Funk Essentials have been presenting their unique brand of eclectic funk to ecstatic audiences around the world since the early nineties. Originally conceived during a string of studio jam sessions by producers Arthur Baker and Lati Kronlund, the all-star group of musicians, singers, DJs and poets hailing from different parts of the globe, soon became regulars of New York’s vibrant club scene, famously mixing their funk with jazz, hip-hop, latin, soul and dub - all rolled into one ferocious funk fest.

cool and steady and easy (1994 / 1995)

The band’s debut album ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’, was first released in the UK by pioneering funk and electronic taste-makers Dorado Records in 1994, before being picked up by Groovetown Records (RCA) in the USA the following year. Combining classic funk’s raw, mind-bending basslines, peak-era disco’s euphoric vocals and early hip-hop’s observational lyricism, the album was an immediate hit in the US and elsewhere, securing a No 1 spot on Billboard’s Alternative R&B Album of the Year chart in 1995. Tracks like ‘Take The L Train’ and ‘Big Apple Boogaloo’ became DJ favorites, while their version of Pharoah Sanders’ and Leon Thomas’ classic ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan’ reached into the Top 20 singles chart. The band did their first North American tour in the summer of 1995 together with Spearhead and Ben Harper.

in the buzzbag (1998)

The success of the ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ album ensured a lot of international touring for the Brooklyn Funk Essentials. A particularly inspired tour in Turkey in 1996, resulted in the band recording their second album, entitled ‘In The BuzzBag’ in Istanbul. It was a collaboration with the Turko-Roman folk band Laço Tayfa, lead by young clarinet virtuoso Hüsnü Senlendirici. The project, released jointly on DoubleMoon, MusiDisc and Shanachie Records in 1998, injected complex Turkish rhythms and instrumentation into the Essentials’ already expansive sound palette, earning them a US Grammy nomination in the process. The song ‘Istanbul Twilight’ became the theme for film director Fatih Akin’s hit movie ‘In July’ which also featured another three songs off the album. Turkey suddenly became a major touring territory for Brooklyn Funk Essentials.

make them like it (2000)

With their third album, ‘Make Them Like It’ from 2000 released on Dorado Records, Brooklyn Funk Essentials were back on their home turf with a deep funk-disco-jazz sound, delivering classics such as the incongruous x-rated p-funk poetry of ‘I Got Cash’ or the boogie/disco/dub of ‘Date With Baby’. The band toured extensively throughout 2000 and 2001, sharing the stage with legends such as James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Fugees, The Meters and Erykah Badu including a show at the Festival de Vieille Charrue in France, where Brooklyn Funk Essentials played to an audience of 80,000 people.

Watcha Playin' (2008)

The album ‘Watcha Playin’ released in 2008 on Comet Records, marked the end of the band’s five year hiatus following 9/11. By this time, some members of the band had moved away from New York, so the album was recorded in studios in Stockholm, Sweden and in Brooklyn. With fan-favorites such as ‘Dance-Free Night’, ‘The Park’ and ‘Need’ the band explored deep grooves and complex vocal arrangements and also linked back to their strong Anatolian connection with guest appearances by Hüsnü Senlendirici and Tunisian rai-star Amina Annabi. Following the album release, the band toured intensively in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America including a show at New York’s Central Park Summer Stage in the company of Hüsnü Senlendirici and members of Taksim Trio. Other live highlights included playing a Funk Fest at Jazz à Vienne in France with Graham Central Station and Bootsy’s Rubber Band, or opening for George Benson at the Cape Town Jazz Festival or sharing the stage with Seun Kuti in Morocco, Iggy & The Stooges in Czech Republic, The B-52’s in Belgium and Underworld in Turkey.

funk ain't ova (2015)

Twenty years after the US release of their debut album, Brooklyn Funk Essentials dropped their fifth full length ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’ on Dorado Records in 2015 with the singles ‘Dance Or Die’, ‘Blast It!’ and the Crystal Waters co-penned ‘Prepare’ exploding on streaming platforms. The album also included the song ‘I’m Gonna Find Me A Woman Cause It’s Cold Outside And I Don’t Wanna Be Alone, Baby’ which the band originally had recorded with Isaac Hayes for the movie ‘Woo’ in 1997. Recorded mostly in Brooklyn and featuring appearances by several of the band’s original members, the core of the band had relocated to Europe at this time. During touring in support of ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’, Brooklyn Funk Essentials were joined by UK soul singer Alison Limerick, who’s house anthem ‘Where Love Lives’ had been written and produced by BFE band leader Lati Kronlund in the early 90s.

STAY Good (2019)

When the band’s original singer, Papa Dee, left the band in 2016 to pursue a solo career, Alison Limerick stepped up as the new lead singer alongside Desmond Foster - long-time singer and guitarist in the band. The album ‘Stay Good’ released on Dorado Records in September 2019 was the first recording featuring the duet voices of Limerick and Foster. Spearheaded by the singles ‘No Strings’, ‘Ain’t Nothing’, ‘Watcha Want From Me’ (co-written by Frankie Knuckles) and ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’, the album clocked over a million streaming spins in its first week of release. Michael Rand wrote in Mob Angeles: “Brooklyn Funk Essentials are proving once again that it takes freeform inventiveness to turn out life changing music, and they just happen to be the best in the business at it.”

Touring in support of the ‘Stay Good’ album got off to a good start in 2019, with Brooklyn Funk Essentials opening for New Power Generation at the Opera Garnier in Monaco and playing their first ever show in India. However, in 2020 all touring came to a halt due to the pandemic, but the band managed to be back on the road in 2021 for several European dates including a headline spot at Jazz à Vienne and opening for Kool & The Gang at Jazz in Marciac in France. The shows sparkled with the energy of young new band member Ebba Åsman on trombone as well as the return of keyboard player Kristoffer Wallman who had played synthesizer on the ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ album from 1994.

INTUITION (2023)

In July 2022, Brooklyn Funk Essentials released the single ‘Scream!’ followed in September by ‘AA Side Single’. In February 2023, the band dropped ‘How Happy’ on all digital platforms and on March 10, BFE will be welcoming the spring and summer season with the single ‘Rollin’ (Love Will Be Here)’. All singles have garnered excellent reviews as well as heavy radio and playlist action. The forthcoming ‘Intuition’ album was written and recorded by the group in Stockholm during the pandemic. Watch this space for more updates.

Brooklyn Funk Essentials line-up through the years

1993

• David Allen - Spoken word

• Tony Allen - Drums

• Arthur Baker - Sampler

• Bassy Bob Brockmann - Trumpet and keyboards

• Joi Cardwell - Lead vocals

• Papa Dee - Vocals

• DJ Jazzy Nice - Turntables

• Yuka Honda - Keyboards

• Lati Kronlund - Bass, keys and guitar

• E.J. Rodriguez - Percussion

• Joshua Roseman - Trombone

• Paul Shapiro - Saxophones and flute

• Sha-key (Hanifah Walidah Robinson) - Spoken word

• Everton Sylvester - Spoken word

• Bill Ware lll - Vibraphone

1994

• Yancy Drew - Drums (replacing Tony Allen)

Also appearing on the ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ album:

• Dizzy Gillespie - Trumpet

• Papa Michingan and General Smiley - Vocals

• Tower Of Power Horns

• Maceo Parker - Saxophone

• Kristoffer Wallman - Synthesizer

• Doug Wimbish - Bass

1995

• Stephanie McKay - Lead vocals (replacing Joi Cardwell)

• ATN Stadwijk - Keyboards (replacing Yuka Honda)

1999

• Desmond Foster - Guitar and vocals

• Masa Shimizu - Guitar

2001

• André Atkins - Trombone (replacing Josh Roseman)

• Dave Jensen - Saxophone (replacing Paul Shapiro)

• Philippe Monrose - Percussion (replacing E.J. Rodriguez)

• Vanessa Pinard - Vocals (replacing Stephanie McKay)

• Tony Taylor - Drums (replacing Yancy Drew)

• Iwan VanHetten - Keyboards and trumpet (replacing ATN Stadwijk and Bassy Bob Brockmann)

2006

• Papa Dee - Vocals

• Yancy Drew - Drums

• Desmond Foster - Guitar and vocals

• Erik Hausler - Saxophone and flute

• Lati Kronlund - Bass, keys and guitar

• Philippe Monrose - Percussion

• Hanifah Walidah - Vocals

• Everton Sylvester - Spoken word

• Iwan VanHetten - Keyboards and trumpet

2012

• André Atkins - Trombone

• Anna Brooks - Saxophones and vocals (replacing Erik Hausler)

• Tony Taylor - Drums (replacing Yancy Drew)

2013

• Morgan Ågren - Drums (replacing Tony Taylor)

2014

• Anna Brooks - Saxophones and vocals

• Papa Dee - Vocals

• Desmond Foster - Guitar and lead vocals

• Lati Kronlund - Bass, keys and guitar

• Hux Nettermalm - Drums (replacing Morgan Ågren)

• Iwan VanHetten - Keyboards and trumpet

Also appearing on the ‘Funk Ain’t Ova’ album sessions:

• Joi Cardwell - Lead vocals

• Isaac Hayes - Vocals

• Stephanie McKay - Lead vocals

• Danny Sadownick - Percussion

• Masa Shimizu - Guitar

• Everton Sylvester - Spoken word

• Hanifah Walidah - Vocals

• Crystal Waters - Backing vocals

2016

• Alison Limerick - Lead vocals

2022

• Alison Limerick - Lead vocals

• Desmond Foster - Guitar and lead vocals

• Lati Kronlund - Bass

• Hux Nettermalm - Drums

• Ebba Åsman - Trombone and vocals

• Kristoffer Wallman - Keyboards

• Loic Gayot - Saxophone

Also appearing on the ‘Intuition’ album sessions:

• Sven Andersson - Saxophones

• Kristian Brink - Saxophones

• Goran Kajfes - Percussion

• Everton Sylvester - Spoken word

• Erik Tengholm - Trumpet

• Rickard Valdés - Congas and bongos