Some say the Long Island funk scene started
in Huntington, on one of those magical Monday nights in 1985
at Canterbury Ales, a popular musicians hang featuring the
Jim Pin Band. A five piece horn section with whom the rhythm
section had recently been rehearsing squeezed into the jam
packed club in front of the club's infamous ultra-compact fold
down stage. When they punched out the last note of Tower of
Power's "What is Hip," the crowd went wild,
and what was to eventually become Funk Filharmonik was born.
"It all actually started as nothing more than a rehearsal band." Ozzie
Melendez, the band's trombone player, principal writer and arranger,
approached the band's former tenor sax player Alex Stewart with
the idea of a band that could duplicate the sounds of Earth Wind
and Fire and Tower of Power.
They presented the idea to bassist Rich
Ebler and drummer Lee Finkelstein of the Jim Pin Band who Alex
had been playing with on Monday nights. As it turned out Lee
and Rich had visions of the same band for years. An immediate
alliance was formed. "I
was so excited," recounts Ozzie, "that I went home, and the very
next day started transcribing six of my favorite Tower of Power
tunes according to Lee, the group just started as a rehearsal
band simply for the thrill of playing this music.
When Gary Smith, owner of the Brokerage, and long time pillar
of Long Island's live music scene heard the line up of the band,
he booked them sight unseen, without a demo tape. Many of Funk's
members had performed regularly at The Brokerage and Gary knew
the caliber of musicians he was dealing with. Funk Filharmonia
(as they were originally called) first gig was on November 21st
1985. Since that first gig, there have been surprisingly few
changes in the band's line up, especially for a group of this
size.
Present personnel consists of:
Tom Bowes/Lead Vocal
Brent Carter/Lead Vocal
Lee Finkelstein/Drums
Ozzie Melendez/Trombone and Vocal
Greg Schleich /Keyboards
John Scarpulla/ Tenor Sax
Jack Knight / Bass
Chris Karlic/Baritone Sax
Steve Finkelstein/ Percussion
Vin Cinquemani/ Trumpet
Dave Lavender/ Guitar
Ron Fox/ Trumpet
Funk Filharmonik's big, fat, fiery horn
sound and chunky rhythmic vibe has become a magnet for musicians
and music lovers of all stripes, from jazz hipsters to rockin'
bikers, from students to teachers, youngsters to oldsters,
fans of jazz, funk, soul, R & B, listeners, dancers ... and basically anyone who is
in need of a "soul vaccination." The Funk band has influenced
many other local bands. Their performances have become a local
hang for so many players. One never knows who is in the audience
and might come up to sit in with the band, particularly when
they gig in Manhattan.
The band does, after all feature some of Long
Island's hottest and most in demand players. Collectively, they've
recorded and performed with icons of popular music, including
Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder,
Tower of Power, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Bootsy
Collins, Shaggy, the Winans, Mariah Carey, The Allman Brothers,
and so many more. Many of these guys have played with jazz and
Latin giants including Tito Puente, Freddie Hubbard, Jonathan
Butler, Marc Anthony, Lionel Hampton, Jennifer Lopez, the Brecker
Brothers, and a list that goes on forever. Their talents have
added to countless TV and Broadway shows, and commercial jingles.
At any given moment, these guys might be off as a band, a horn
section, or individual players in the far corners of the world
playing in such diverse settings as presidential inaugurations,
midnight sun concerts in Sweden's Arctic Circle, or spiritual
drum and dance ceremonies of Ghana, West Africa. The Band also
prides itself in
the benefits they and their loyal following of funksters have supported for
humanitarian and environmental causes.
