Bayou Funk

Bayou funk on vinyl: the groove of New Orleans

In short: Bayou funk means the funk of New Orleans and Louisiana: in the late sixties The Meters played a loose, syncopated groove that had grown out of the city’s rhythms – second line, Mardi Gras and rhythm & blues. Producer Allen Toussaint also used the band for other singers, such as Lee Dorsey. The Vinyl Room currently has 10 bayou funk records.

What is bayou funk?

The classics: The Meters are represented with “Chicken Strut”, Lee Dorsey with “Yes We Can” and Professor Longhair with a live recording from 1975.

To this day: Trombone Shorty carries on the tradition with “Parking Lot Symphony”, and saxophonist James Rivers is here with “Thrill Me”. Under this style tag we also have WITCH from Zambia with “Kuomboka” and Shadow from Trinidad with “Sweet Sweet Dreams”.

What to look for

Our bayou funk records date from the seventies, eighties and 2010s; label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is bayou funk? Funk from New Orleans and Louisiana with a loose, syncopated groove.

Who shaped bayou funk? Above all The Meters and producer Allen Toussaint.

What is second line? The brass band parades of New Orleans, whose rhythms shaped the city’s funk.

Which bayou funk records do you have? Here, for example, Lee Dorsey’s “Yes We Can” and Trombone Shorty’s “Parking Lot Symphony”.