Make It Funky! is a 2005 American documentary film directed, written and co-produced by Michael Murphy. Subtitled in the original version as "It all began in New Orleans", the film presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz. The film was scheduled for theatrical release in September 2005, but was pulled by distributor Sony Pictures Releasing so that they did not appear to take commercial advantage of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Using an April 27, 2004 concert at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans as the backdrop, the film also includes archival performance footage, still photographs, and interviews with many musicians and others involved in the early years and heyday of New Orleans music. The film is narrated by Art Neville, and the interviewees include local music pioneers Allen Toussaint, Lloyd Price, Irma Thomas, and Aaron Neville, contemporary New Orleans musicians Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty, as well as rock musicians Bonnie Raitt and Keith Richards, who describe the influence of New Orleans music on their careers. The opening screen text states "the story of how this music was made reflects a struggle for social and racial equality between black and white America. It is also a story of how music can unite, uplift, and in the case of New Orleans, create a sound that influenced the world."
Synopsis The historical portions of Make It Funky! are interspersed with performances by some of the city's most well-known musicians and bands, including from the April 2004 concert. Many of the performers are also featured in interview settings.
The film opens with an older New Orleans African-American musician teaching a young boy how to accompany his piano playing using a trumpet mouthpiece. This is followed by several snippets of interviews with various musicians discussing what makes New Orleans music different from other genres; all agree it is the unique beat, the second line back beat that helps audiences dance to the music.
A discussion follows of the multicultural influences that helped shape the New Orleans musical sound over the centuries: colonial rule by the Spanish and French, as well as immigrants from the Caribbean Islands and enslaved Africans. The jazz funeral and second line traditions are discussed, as well as the role of the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. By the late 1940s, the second line brass band traditions were in danger of being lost, but the tradition was revived by younger musicians such as Danny Barker, followed later by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who incorporated R&B sounds such as that of Fats Domino into their repertoire.
The film next discusses the ever-present musical sounds heard throughout New Orleans neighborhoods, and in particular the history of the Tremé neighborhood and the musical giants who lived and performed there, including Louis Armstrong and Danny Barker. Kermit Ruffins talks about the history of Congo Square, and Troy Andrews and Sammie Williams discuss what it was like to grow up in Tremé.
Jon Cleary, Bob French, Michele Barard and Steve Jordan discuss the influences of Caribbean and African cultures on New Orleans music, including the practice of voodoo. A history of the Mardi Gras Indians is presented by Cyril and Charles Neville, including the influence of their uncle Big Chief Jolly.
The New Orleans style of piano playing is discussed, mentioning the long line of pianists to come out of the city, and featuring James Booker, Dr. John, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair. Allen Toussaint describes the technical differences between the styles of Domino and Longhair. The Southern-ness of the music is discussed by Toussaint, including the inspiration for his composition "Southern Nights".
The impact of racial segregation on the New Orleans music scene is discussed by various interviewees. The importance of the Dew Drop Inn to the local musical community is mentioned, including the nightclub's rejection of racial segregation among musicians and audience members, which was illegal at the time. Earl Palmer talks about how racial segregation was different in New Orleans than the rest of the South, saying "we did everything together except go to school together". Art Neville recalls an incident after playing a gig in Mississippi during the 1950s when a note was left on the windshield of their car saying the band was being watched by the Ku Klux Klan. DJ, music promoter and record store owner Jim Russell tells of the troubles he encountered as a white man who wanted to play black music on his radio programs, as well as booking Art Neville and The Hawkettes into a white-only nightclub.
A brief history of J&M Recording Studio is presented by co-owner Cosimo Matassa, including the studio's policy of ignoring legal segregation and the influence of bandleader, producer and songwriter Dave Bartholomew. Matassa also discussed the recording of several Little Richard hits at J&M accompanied by many New Orleans musicians including drummer Palmer.
Aaron Neville recalls the success of his 1966 hit song "Tell It Like It Is" and its supporting tour, but claims he never received any royalties from the song. Keith Richards describes the influence of the sound on early rock and roll, saying New Orleans musicians "put the roll into rock". The importance of The Meters on early funk is shared by Jon Cleary and Art Neville. Charles Neville discusses the various musical influences on The Neville Brothers, and the next generation of Neville musicians. The film's historical narrative ends by returning to the importance of the unique beat of the New Orleans sound.
Cast
Interviewees The following musicians or others involved in the New Orleans music scene are named and seen onscreen in an interview setting, often for small amounts of screen time.
Aaron Neville Ahmet Ertegun Allen Toussaint Art Neville Bob French Bonnie Raitt Charles Neville Cosimo Matassa Cyril Neville Earl Palmer Fred Johnson Jr., Greg Stafford, and Benjamin Jones of Black Men of Labor Gregory Davis Ian Neville Irma Thomas Jim Russell Jon Cleary Keith Richards Ken Jackson, grandson of Dew Drop Inn founder Frank Painia Kermit Ruffins Michele Barard, voodoo scholar Sammie Williams of Big Sam's Funky Nation Steve Jordan Sylvester Francis Troy Andrews Victor Harris, Mardi Gras Indian chief
Performers Full-length performances The following musicians or bands are seen in the live concert segments of the film, with house band Poppa Funk's Boys, led by drummer Steve Jordan. Full-length performances of the songs (listed in order of appearance) are:
Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield and Troy Andrews, performing "Skokiaan" Dirty Dozen Brass Band with guests Irvin Mayfield and Troy Andrews, performing "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now" Big Sam's Funky Nation with guest Troy Andrews, performing "Bah Duey Duey" Monk Boudreaux and the Golden Eagles, performing "Sew, Sew, Sew" Toussaint and Jon Cleary, performing "Tipitina" Toussaint and Irma Thomas, performing "Old Records" Toussaint and Lloyd Price, performing "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" Earl Palmer with guest vocalist Ivan Neville, performing "Rip It Up" Allen Toussaint, performing a medley of his compositions "Fortune Teller", "Working in the Coal Mine", and "A Certain Girl" Bonnie Raitt, performing "What is Success" The Neville Brothers, performing "Fire on the Bayou" Walter "Wolfman" Washington, performing "Barefootin'" Snooks Eaglin with guest George Porter Jr., performing "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" Keith Richards performing "I'm Ready" Finale: all performers playing "Hey Pocky Way"
Henry Butler, Jonny Lang, Joss Stone, Leo Nocentelli, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Irene Sage and The Dixie Cups also performed at the concert, but their appearances were not included in the final cut of the film.
Archival performance footage The following musicians are seen in archival video clips (no full-length performances):
Dave Bartholomew Dr. John Fats Domino Professor Longhair
Other onscreen appearances Quint Davis appears on stage in the role of MC for the concert portions of the film New Birth Brass Band, Treme Brass Band and Fi Yi Yi Mardi Gras Indians are seen in brief street performances Alvin Batiste Sr. and Joseph C. Bloom II appear in the opening scene
Production Make it Funky! was director Murphy's first feature-length documentary film.
Development The original working title of the film was Southern Nights, with the concert promoted as "Make It Funky". The idea for the film was born at a visit by director Murphy and co-producer Cilista Eberle to a local music club named Donna's Bar & Grill, which features many of the city's brass bands at its North Rampart Street location. After the original idea to focus on an (unnamed) major New Orleans musician as the film's star fell through, the film evolved into a broader look at the city's rich musical history and its influence on several musical genres, including R&B, funk, rock, and jazz. Two years of planning and negotiations preceded the closing of the production and distribution deals. Overall, the project took five years to complete.
Director Murphy is a fifth-generation New Orleanian and his company (Michael Murphy Productions) has produced numerous music-related programs for television, radio and live satellite broadcasts. Murphy rejected suggestions that the concert showcase be filmed in New York, which would have allowed for easier coverage by national media outlets. He said that it was a "very important element" that "all of the local musicians and guest stars will walk the same streets as Louis Armstrong, Danny Barker, Sidney Bechet, Fats Domino, breathe the same air, sit on the same bar stools."
Although the film's exact budget is not known, one article described it as "seven-figures" with another saying it was "close to $3 million", with much of the financing coming from a Hibernia National Bank loan collateralized in part by Murphy's personal assets including a second mortgage on his home. This documentary was the first film that the bank ever considered financing, although others have followed. The Louisiana Economic Development Corporation guaranteed a percentage of the bank loan. The film was shot in New Orleans with a predominantly local crew, which made the production eligible for approximately $300,000 in credits from Louisiana's then-two year old film industry tax credit incentive program. The New Orleans music and film commissions, as well as the governor's office of film and television development, were all integral to the early development of the project.
Daniel Roth of Revolution Studios in Los Angeles was the film's executive producer and brokered the film's distribution deal with Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, which was later picked up by Sony. The original plan was to distribute the film worldwide to theaters, television and on DVD, with the goal of giving "the city's indigenous music an enormous boost by cultivating a deeper understanding of New Orleans' role in the development of contemporary music".
Pre-production Columbia TriStar did not officially approve the project until March 25, 2004, leaving the producers with only four weeks to plan the concert, book performers, promote the show and sell tickets. The "Make It Funky" concert was held on April 27, 2004, which was the Tuesday between the two weekends of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, when the city would experience a critical mass of performers and music fans available for the show.
Filming The concert portion of the film was shot in a high-definition format with 11 cameras, and was recorded in surround sound. The concert at the Saenger Theatre lasted for almost six hours.
Murphy said that he shot over 30 hours of footage all over the city, capturing images of neighborhoods that were later damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.
Release