Funk, Inc.

Funk Inc. were an Indianapolis soul-jazz group through the late 1960s and '70s and later on in the '90s. The band was founded in 1969 by organist Bobby Watley. He brought in Jimmy Munford on drums, Cecil Hunt to play the conga, Eugene Barr on tenor sax and Steve Weakley on the guitar. In the early '70s the group was spotted by Bob Porter, a producer at Prestige, who signed them for what proved to be a five album run. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1971, peaking at number 45 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart. 'Chicken Lickin'' followed in '72 and 'Hangin' Out' in '73. All three had an emphasis on improvisation, but with their fourth album, 1973's 'Superfunk', higher levels of production began to creep in. They went on to release 'Priced to Sell' in 1974, but the group then split two years later over tensions surrounding the change in direction. Watley, however, continued to play live across the Midwest. In the '90s their work was attracting attention in the UK's acid jazz scene and Hunt reformed the group with a new line-up. Munford and Barr had passed away in the intervening years, but Hunt rejoined along with new members guitarist Doug Swanigan, saxophonist Teddy Patterson and drummer Phil Brines. In 1995 they recorded Funk Inc.'s first new album in two decades, 'Urban Renewal'. Cecil Hunt passed away in 2015.

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