Austin Blues Festival Adds Parliament Funkadelic
The Austin Blues Festival on April 25-26 will feature Parliament Funkadelic with George Clinton, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Eric Johnson at Moody Amphitheater. Monty Alexander performed his "Jamaica to Jazz" set at Moss Center on February 21, blending reggae, ska, swing, and bebop while collecting hurricane relief donations. The festival highlights jazz's expanding fusion with funk and Caribbean influences.
- The Austin Blues Festival is presented by the iconic local venue Antone's, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025 with a special all-star jam on both days of the event. - George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. The collective is known for a rotating cast of musicians that has included key figures like bassist Bootsy Collins and horn players Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker. - Austin native Eric Johnson first gained local fame in the 1970s with his fusion band Electromagnets. He later won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for his 1990 song "Cliffs of Dover." - BADBADNOTGOOD, a Canadian instrumental group, gained early viral attention with jazz interpretations of hip-hop tracks from artists like Gucci Mane and Odd Future. The two-time Grammy-winning production team has since collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, and Tyler, The Creator. - The fusion of jazz with funk and rock emerged in the late 1960s, pioneered by artists like Miles Davis with his album *Bitches Brew*. This movement saw jazz musicians incorporating electric instruments like synthesizers and amplified guitars, which were popular in rock and funk. - Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander moved to the U.S. in 1961 and by 1963 was the house pianist at Jilly's, a New York club owned by a close friend of Frank Sinatra. There, he regularly performed for a clientele that included Sinatra, Miles Davis, and Count Basie.
