Surprisingly likeable CD. A little instrumental jazz, a little funky, some with vocal and others not. But this is a nice tribute to that era with a touch of his own style. I have to say the first track threw me for a minute I was unsure if I would be able to get into the CD. But it recovered on the second track and got stronger thereafter. Loved the version of Hollywood Swingers w/Musiq & Albright and The World Keeps Going Around w/Ledisi, who is a wonderful vocalist who truly shines on this track. This was quite enjoyable, not too over the top but mellow funk. Definately for Ole School lovers who don't mind a little variety/twist.

This is one great album. It's an awesome mood-maker, putting you into a comfortable jazz groove right up front and consistently. My one complaint is the title. I don't think it actually brings back any funk; it's more of a fusion of 75% jazz and 25% funk. The main reason for that is that piano was never at the heart of funk. Funk built on rhythm and a thumping bass, not keys. That said, Culbertson definitely has a funky heart and brings a great vibe to his jazz.

I'll make this review short but sweet. If you are a fan of classic funk then Brian Culbertson (with the help of a few of his old school friends with serious funk credentials) has just created a generous slice of the good stuff. To carry my metaphor a little further, it's like unexpectedly coming across a bottle of a favorite old wine, sharing it with a special friend that you know will appreciate it, and discovering that it's every bit as good as you remembered it to be. Of course the difference here is that you can listen to Brian's new CD as many times as you want. If you appreciate "the real deal" funk as much as I do, my prediction is that as soon as the last note dies away you will be hitting play again to reappreciate Bringing Back the Funk's remarkable and fully realized goal of revitalizing a genre of music that has sadly, become all too rare in this era of corporate driven desperation to find anything that can be foisted off on a fragmented and increasingly disinterested (and clueless) public, hoping to sell as many "units" as possible. Ah well, sorry for the rant, but hearing a CD this good made me miss what we used to have in abundance before corporate greed once again reassumed control. So, even though this post ended up being neither short or sweet, the actual parts of it where I talked about the fantastic Bringing Back the Funk were. Time to stop reading the reviews and just buy it, because it's Great!

Great combination of funk and jazz. I especially like the Bootsy Collins cuts, Hollywood Swinging and The World Keeps Going Around. Some of the cuts are average, but the others are superior. Well worth listening to.
KEEP FUNK ALIVE !!!!

That Brian Culbertson is a fine piano player is no news. What it's real news it's his amazing versatility to navigate from one silky, mellow & romantic repertoire ("It's on tonight") to a funky and jazzy album like this one, effortlesly. That's a gift that not many musicians can prove. Brian has it. "Bring back the funk" is a "must" for any smooth jazz lover. It's hard to believe after listening this album someone could write "tired and uninspired effort", unless you have become def without acknowledgeing it, of course.