The New Orleans music documentary Make It Funky arrives on DVD on September 27. It’s a timely reminder of all the good things about the Crescent City.
Director and producer Michael Murphy, along with Cilista Eberle (producer) and Daniel Roth (executive producer), pulled together more than 80 musicians and filmed them performing 50 songs that trace the evolution of New Orleans funk, from traditional jazz and brass bands, to piano blues, R&B and classic rock ‘n’ roll guitar riffs.
Make It Funky travels into the streets, the bars, the cemeteries and the recording studios of New Orleans, capturing not only a musical portrait of the city but also a musical culture. Performers include Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Earl Palmer, Funky Meters, George Porter, Jr., Irma Thomas, Irvin Mayfield, Ivan Neville, the Neville Bros., Jon Cleary, Kermit Ruffins, Lloyd Price, Monk Boudreaux & The Golden Eagles, Snooks Eaglin, Poppa Funk’s Boys, Troy Andrews, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Ahmet Ertegun, Allen Toussaint, Cosimo Matassa, Steve Jordan, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino and more.
DVD special features include:
· widescreen presentation
· deleted scenes, including one called “Showdown at the Funky Butt”
· a “play concert only” option
· three featurettes: Culture of New Orleans, Family and Music and Musician
The music playlist looks like this:
1. “Trumpet Challenge” by Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Troy Andrews
2. “Skokiaan” by Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield, Troy Andrews, Shannon Powell
3. “My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now” by the Dirty Dozen Band
4. “Bah Duey-Duey” by Big Sam’s Funky Nation
5. “Sew Sew Sew” by Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indians
6. “Southern Nights” by Allen Toussaint & Jon Cleary
7. “Old Records” by Allen Toussaint & Irma Thomas
8. “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” by Lloyd Price
9. “Fortune Teller” by Allen Toussaint
10. “Working in a Coal Mine” by Allen Toussaint
11. “Certain Girl” by Allen Toussaint
12. “What Is Success?” by Bonnie Raitt
13. “Rip It Up” by Ivan Neville & Earl Palmer
14. “Cissy Strut” by the Funky Meters
15. “Fire on the Bayou” by the Neville Brothers
16. “Barefootin'” by Walter “Wolfman” Washington
17. “Come On” by Snooks Eaglin & George Porter Jr.
18. “I’m Ready” by Keith Richards
19. “Hey Pocky Way” performed by everybody
