The JB's

When you're the backing band for the Godfather of Soul, you might expect to be overshadowed by the oh-so-funky one. But the JB's play it so tight, they're an entity unto themselves, as releases such as Bring the Funk On Down and Doing It To Death will attest. Because the line-up has something of a revolving door, the J.B.'s have included some of the most revered names in the world of funk and jazz, including Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Bootsy Collins and "Pee Wee" Ellis. Even beginners will recognize the JB's riffs that have been sampled endlessly by hip-hop artists. True classics.