Buckner Funken Jazz

by Laura Bond

Funk's good name is sometimes tarnished by fusion bands who think all the genre requires is a fat bass line, a funny name and a "Brick House" cover. Buckner Funken Jazz, which appears Friday, March 29, at Herman's Hideaway with the Funky Babylonians and the Fabulous Boogienaughts, rectifies this situation by fusing its original songs with essential old-school elements like air-tight percussion, a jazzy lead guitar and plenty of brass, courtesy of bandleader and trumpeter Rod Buckner. And, yes, there's a big fat bass line in there, too. Buckner Funken Jazz will blow, slap and groove its way through material from last year's Late for School CD. Don't be late. - Westword

"With so many young groove and jazz groups trying to sound old-school, it's nice to hear a band that actually is old-school: Denver-based Buckner Funken Jazz, whose leader, trumpeter Rod Buckner, was grooving on stage back when Medeski, Martin and Wood still had 8:00 bedtimes. On its latest record, Late For School, the seven-piece outfit mixes up urban-flavored, Headhunters-style 70s jazz-rock, sultry blues and forward-looking acid jazz, sweetened up with keyboards, congas and flute solos. You say you wanna dance? To real music? Get to Round Midnight tonight, when BFJ celebrates the release of the album with a rare Boulder show."

-- Greg Glasgow, in the Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera, Feb. 8, 2002 - Boulder Daily Camera