Ever order a kale salad and discover a neckbone in it? That’s funk. Ever written a love letter on a chicken grease-stained napkin? That’s funk.
The Du-Rites are without a doubt the soundtrack to both of those situations, but by definition, The Du-Rites are a duo of New Yorkbased multi-instrumentalists comprised of Pablo Martin (guitar, bass, synthesizer) and J-Zone (drums, organ, bass, turntables, percussion instruments that require little skill).
Funk comes from so many places that it’s hard to visit them all, but the duo manages to do just that on their self-titled (and almost wholly instrumental) debut LP on Old Maid Entertainment / Ilegalia Records (with Vinyl LP & Cassette Versions on Redefinition Records). From the greasy, lo-fi and syncopated grooves of the late ‘60s (“Bug Juice,” “Git’n Off,” “Ghetto Ferris Wheel”); to ‘70s cop show funk (“The Chief & I,” “Hustle”); to the slick stomp of the early ‘80s (“Du-N-It”), The DuRites have membership at both the rib shack and the discotheque.
With influences ranging from the obvious (Booker T. & The MGs, Lalo Schifrin, Cameo, Kool and the Gang, The Meters, Jimi Hendrix, P-Funk, Motown, Herbie Hancock, and James Brown) to the obscure (overlooked late ‘60s funk bands Warm Excursion, TSU Toronadoes, and Willie & The Mighty Magnificents), The Du-Rites manage to bounce from improvisational, raggedy and psychedelic to tight and snappy with the skip of a track. Pablo’s proficiency in punk, disco, pop and Latin and J-Zone’s deep roots in hip-hop and jazz-funk combine to make one of the more off-kilter, but undeniably funky instrumental long players you’ll dig into.
| A1 | Blow Your Stack | 2:21 |
| A2 | Neckbones | 2:26 |
| A3 | Bug Juice | 2:34 |
| A4 | The Chief and I | 2:46 |
| A5 | Bookie | 3:21 |
| A6 | Play The Right Hand | 2:02 |
| B1 | Git'n Off | 2:00 |
| B2 | The Man With The Golden Tooth | 3:04 |
| B3 | Ghetto Ferris Wheel | 3:33 |
| B4 | Hustle | 3:12 |
| B5 | Du-N-It | 3:11 |
