Pacific soul

Wheedle’s Groove unearths Seattle’s other major music scene

When you think about Seattle’s biggest musical contribution to the world you might conjure up the early ’90s photographer Charles Peterson’s images depicting cheap guitars, stage diving, and flowing, mangy manes of hair. Without a doubt Seattle will always be known as the birthplace of grunge, but very little of us will know of the raw and reeling funk that was happening within the city limits of the “Emerald City” in the ’60s and ’70s. In director Jennifer Maas’ 2009 documentary film Wheedle’s Groove she sheds some light on this incredible musical scene that has, until now, remained deep under the radar. Maas’s unearthing of this small group of musicians, decked out in platform shoes, soul ’fros and pimp hats, serves up pure gold with every frame.

With the exception of L.A. and New York the regional scenes of the early-’70s often each possessed a specific sound, and Seattle’s soul scene was no different, unified by its dizzyingly high level of excellence. A musical tip of the hat is given to James Brown, War, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone and the other usual suspects, but Seattle’s unknown groups like Cold, Bold and Together, Black On White Affair, Cookin’ Bag and solo artists like Ron Buford served it up far rawer than their big-city peers with their pockets of funkified groove served up slower, lower and deeper.

Just as the Seattle funk scene was about to finally bust out of their area code in 1975, along came the musical plague that would wipe it all out—disco. Seattle venues hosting live bands were suddenly transformed into dance clubs as the musicians that made up this once vibrant scene were forced to hang up their platforms for good.

With testimonials from Seattle former funksters such as Quincy Jones, Kenny G. (!?) and Sir Mix-A-Lot (who also contributes narration to the film), Wheedle’s Groove easily goes far beyond merely being a film of musical anthropology and thankfully goes straight to the booty. It’s a true crime that the world never got a chance to hear these jams at the time, but thankfully Maas finally serves up credit where it’s been long overdue. ■

WHEEDLE’S GROOVE PLAYS THIS THURSDAY,
SEPT. 9, 8:30 P.M., AT BLUE SUNSHINE
(3660 ST-LAURENT)

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