The Counts - Funk Pump [Japanese Remastered Edition] (1974/1994)

The Counts were a great 70s funk band who somehow never got the recognition they deserved. Like so many early funk bands, The Counts were basically jazz musicians at heart and all through “Funk Pump” their jazz skills come through loud and clear. They have a fairly diverse sound, The Ohio Players and early Funkadelic are influences, as well as War’s earthy sound and older jazz and soul styles as well. This diversity of sound may be what held The Counts back as it is possible the labels weren’t sure how to market them. There is also a very appealing down home old school almost country sound to The Counts, which may have hurt them in the mid 70s when other funk bands like Parliament and EW&F were sounding urban and futuristic. Possibly the two main things that hurt The Counts most though were the lack of a central lead character along the lines of Bootsie, Sly or Sugar Foot, and a lack of memorable lyrics. Although the songs and playing are great on here, the lyrics sound like filler and afterthoughts.

Anyway, don’t mean to get stuck on this band’s faults while speculating on their lack of commercial recognition, this is actually a good record and it should appeal to fans of jazzy funk. Also, for the funk-jazz purists, there are a couple of totally (or mostly) instrumental numbers too. If you like old school down to earth funk with a bit of country twang along the lines of early Ohio Players and War, you will enjoy this one.