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OT/ Isley Brothers & Earth, Wind & Fire

Ernie Isley is one of the most underrated guitarist in music history, he's also a great multi-instrumentalist & songwriter.

He's self taught but he learned a lot from watching Jimi Hendrix when Hendrix used to play for the Isley Brothers.

But EWF.... Mannnn I love that band, I have 8 original copy vinyls of their albums (I got'em from my mom lol), EWF is one of the most cohesive bands ever, what I mean is from a musician standpoint they absolutely perfected the groove & their timing is impeccable.

Verdine White is one of the greatest bassist of all-time, then with Ralph Johnson & Fred White on Drums & percussion they had some of the best in pocket rhythm sections ever. Their live performances are second to none & back when they had the Axe man Johnny Graham on lead guitar they had the perfect mix of R&B, Jazz, Funk & Rock.

I'm just 31 but I mainly listen to old school music from the 60-90's, sometimes I swear I was born in the wrong era because I loveeeee old school Funk fusion, Jazz & Soul/Neo-Soul. I love Hip-Hop & Reggae too, but 95% of my playlist is old school shìt, it's all I listen to on SiriusXM too.

Great thread Orlando!
 
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Canegetright said:
Maaan, good shii! Gotta keep me some old school in the rotation. All the above + some Zapp & Roger.
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Roger Troutman was another Elite multi-instrumentalist in music history, people really don't understand how gifted he was because they only pay attention to the Talk-Box, but people don't know he was equally as cold on the guitar as he was on the keys. He was cut from the same cloth as Prince as a musician & composer, his arrangements were other wordly.

He comes from Ohio just like The Isley Brothers, Parliament Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Bobby Womack, The Ojays, The Ohio Players, The Legendary Screamin Jay Hawkins, Bull Moose Jackson (who was a beast Saxophonist), The Dazz Band & several others.

Roger was one of the most prolific songwriters & producers, he was a phenemonal creator & true visionary, he basically revolutionized the modulated sound decades before autotune became popular, but he didn't use it how modern artists use it today to mask their inability to sing, he used the talk-box as an instrument to assist with the overall ambiance of the music.

Roger was special, he was your favorite artists favorite artist. Both Michael Jackson & Prince respected him a great deal & they (Roger/Zapp) even went on tour together with Prince back in the day because they were both label mates on Warner Bros. Roger actually wrote Itchin for Your Twitchin as a way to pay homage & respect to Prince & years later Prince made Dance 4 Me off his LotusFlower album as a way to pay his respects back to Roger.
 
Liberty City El said:
Roger Troutman was another Elite multi-instrumentalist in music history, people really don't understand how gifted he was because they only pay attention to the Talk-Box, but people don't know he was equally as cold on the guitar as he was on the keys. He was cut from the same cloth as Prince as a musician & composer, his arrangements were other wordly.

He comes from Ohio just like The Isley Brothers, Parliament Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Bobby Womack, The Ojays, The Ohio Players, The Legendary Screamin Jay Hawkins, Bull Moose Jackson (who was a beast Saxophonist), The Dazz Band & several others.

Roger was one of the most prolific songwriters & producers, he was a phenemonal creator & true visionary, he basically revolutionized the modulated sound decades before autotune became popular, but he didn't use it how modern artists use it today to mask their inability to sing, he used the talk-box as an instrument to assist with the overall ambiance of the music.

Roger was special, he was your favorite artists favorite artist. Both Michael Jackson & Prince respected him a great deal & they (Roger/Zapp) even went on tour together with Prince back in the day because they were both label mates on Warner Bros. Roger actually wrote Itchin for Your Twitchin as a way to pay homage & respect to Prince & years later Prince made Dance 4 Me off his LotusFlower album as a way to pay his respects back to Roger.
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Liberty City El said:
Ernie Isley is one of the most underrated guitarist in music history, he's also a great multi-instrumentalist & songwriter.

He's self taught but he learned a lot from watching Jimi Hendrix when Hendrix used to play for the Isley Brothers.

But EWF.... Mannnn I love that band, I have 8 original copy vinyls of their albums (I got'em from my mom lol), EWF is one of the most cohesive bands ever, what I mean is from a musician standpoint they absolutely perfected the groove & their timing is impeccable.

Verdine White is one of the greatest bassist of all-time, then with Ralph Johnson & Fred White on Drums & percussion they had some of the best in pocket rhythm sections ever. Their live performances are second to none & back when they had the Axe man Johnny Graham on lead guitar they had the perfect mix of R&B, Jazz, Funk & Rock.

I'm just 31 but I mainly listen to old school music from the 60-90's, sometimes I swear I was born in the wrong era because I loveeeee old school Funk fusion, Jazz & Soul/Neo-Soul. I love Hip-Hop & Reggae too, but 95% of my playlist is old school shìt, it's all I listen to on SiriusXM too.

Great thread Orlando!
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There's something you don't see anymore and is greatly missed. The multi-instrumentalist.

It is utterly insane how many black musicians known primarily as SINGERS from that era who were also multi instrumenalists. Guys like Barry White -- yes, that Barry White-- were playing the instruments and composing their own songs (side note: they should really make a Barry White movie some day. Crazy life story.). Barry White basically invented disco "Love's Theme" which is nothing but an instrumental track. Then you have dudes like Issac Hayes (talk about underrated guitarists and multi-insrumentalists), Mayfield, and even Marvin Gaye. I was listening to "T Plays It Cool", as I usually do at least once a week, and I was astonished to only recently discover that he played EVERY instrument on that banger except for the saxophone.

Talent is timeless, and classic music -- whether we're talking about Mozart or Beethoven or EWF and the Isley's-- somehow always sounds fresh and ahead of it's time no matter when you listen to it.
 
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Liberty City El said:



This is the best version of That's The Way Of The World.

Listen to Verdine with the low end while Johnny shreds it on his guitar solo, their groove was so perfectly blended.
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I was going to post this earlier.

There was a DJ in South Florida during the early 90’s (I forget which station) who finished his set every day with “That’s the way of the world” — which is probably my favorite in a catalog where you love a lot of songs.
 
supersaiyanshel said:
There's something you don't see anymore and is greatly missed. The multi-instrumentalist.

It is utterly insane how many black musicians known primarily as SINGERS from that era who were also multi instrumenalists. Guys like Barry White -- yes, that Barry White-- were playing the instruments and composing their own songs (side note: they should really make a Barry White movie some day. Crazy life story.). Barry White basically invented disco "Love's Theme" which is nothing but an instrumental track. Then you have dudes like Issac Hayes (talk about underrated guitarists and multi-insrumentalists), Mayfield, and even Marvin Gaye. I was listening to "T Plays It Cool", as I usually do at least once a week, and I was astonished to only recently discover that he played EVERY instrument on that banger except for the saxophone.

Talent is timeless, and classic music -- whether we're talking about Mozart or Beethoven or EWF and the Isley's-- somehow always sounds fresh and ahead of it's time no matter when you listen to it.
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That's facts, Multi-instrumentalists used to be the best in music, so many legends used to play all their own instrumentation on their albums.

Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Larry Graham, Nike Rodgers, Rick James, Prince, Roger Troutman, Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis, even Lenny Kravitz used to play all the instruments on his early records.

Another super talented & underrated but prolific multi-instrumentalist & song writer is Raphael Saadiq, he's low key a monster with an amazing HOF worthy catalog & has written & produced some of the biggest records in the 90's - 00's.
 
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Liberty City El said:
That's facts, Multi-instrumentalists used to be the best in music, so many legends used to play all their own instrumentation on their albums.

Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Larry Graham, Nike Rodgers, Rick James, Prince, Roger Troutman, Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis, even Lenny Kravitz used to play all the instruments on his early records.

Another super talented & underrated but prolific multi-instrumentalist & song writer is Raphael Saadiq, he's low key a monster with an amazing HOF worthy catalog & has written & produced some of the biggest records in the 90's - 00's.
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Bruh, how does a “young man” like you **** w/Saadiq? Y’all yungins’ are really impressing me. “Ya mamas brought you up right!”
 
I love the Ohio Players. They were on the midnight special...don’t k know how to load on here. A must to check out though. They sounded so good live, and the musicians were just awesome. And their voices were incredible...no back tracking the vocals or lip syncing. Until this thread I somehow missed the Isley Brothers...I had heard the name. But hey, something fresh and real good to check out.👍
 
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Tetragrammaton Cane said:
Bruh, how does a “young man” like you **** w/Saadiq? Y’all yungins’ are really impressing me. “Ya mamas brought you up right!”
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Maaaan I been listening to Tony Toni Tone since the early 90's, but then when Saadiq left the group & formed Lucy Pearl I became a huge fan of his solo work.

He really doesn't get the credit he deserves but he was really one of the main catalyst behind the scenes in developing the Neo-Soul movement in the 90's. He wrote D'Angelo's biggest record of his career, he also wrote for the Roots, Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Bilal & so many others.

His Jimmy Lee album from last year was legit one of the best albums of 2019, it was Grammy worthy.
 
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Now this is a thread I can get down with.

I'm in my late 30's but my pops was in the music biz for over 30 years. I grew up on this good ****. I have a stack of vinyl records.

Pops has worked with Chaka Khan, Kool & The Gang, The Tramps, Village People, Foxxy, KC & The Sunshine Band, The Whispers...and the list goes on. He's got stories for days.

I got a lot of "what are you listening to" from my friends when I was a kid.
And until this day I always represent for the old school. They just don't make music like this anymore.
 
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