''Make It Funky!'' is a 2005 American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

directed, written and co-produced by Michael Murphy. Subtitled in the original version as "It all began in New Orleans", the film presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

. The film was scheduled for theatrical release in September 2005, but was pulled by distributor Sony Pictures Releasing so that they did not appear to take commercial advantage of the devastation caused by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. Using an April 27, 2004 concert at the Saenger Theatre in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

as the backdrop, the film also includes archival performance footage, still photographs, and interviews with many musicians and others involved in the early years and heyday of New Orleans music. The film is narrated by

Art Neville Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans. Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band ...

, and the interviewees include local music pioneers

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

Lloyd Price Lloyd Price (March 9, 1933May 3, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, record executive and bandleader, known as "Mr. Personality", after his 1959 million-selling hit, "Personality". His first recording, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", was a hit for Spe ...

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

, and

Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is a retired American R&B and soul singer. He has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits in the United States, including three that reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. ...

, contemporary New Orleans musicians

Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and actor from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He ...

and

Trombone Shorty Troy Andrews (born January 2, 1986), also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is an American musician, producer, actor and philanthropist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, ...

, as well as rock musicians

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

and

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

, who describe the influence of New Orleans music on their careers. The opening screen text states "the story of how this music was made reflects a struggle for social and racial equality between black and white America. It is also a story of how music can unite, uplift, and in the case of New Orleans, create a sound that influenced the world."

Synopsis

The historical portions of ''Make It Funky!'' are interspersed with performances by some of the city's most well-known musicians and bands, including from the April 2004 concert. Many of the performers are also featured in interview settings. The film opens with an older New Orleans African-American musician teaching a young boy how to accompany his piano playing using a trumpet mouthpiece. This is followed by several snippets of interviews with various musicians discussing what makes New Orleans music different from other genres; all agree it is the unique beat, the second line back beat that helps audiences dance to the music. A discussion follows of the multicultural influences that helped shape the New Orleans musical sound over the centuries:

colonial rule Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...

by the Spanish and French, as well as immigrants from the Caribbean Islands and enslaved Africans. The

jazz funeral A jazz funeral is a funeral procession accompanied by a brass band, in the tradition of New Orleans, Louisiana. History The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New ...

and second line traditions are discussed, as well as the role of the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. By the late 1940s, the second line brass band traditions were in danger of being lost, but the tradition was revived by younger musicians such as

Danny Barker Daniel Moses Barker (January 13, 1909 – March 13, 1994) was an American jazz musician, vocalist, and author from New Orleans. He was a rhythm guitarist for Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter during the 1930s. One of Barker's earl ...

, followed later by the

Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a brass band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ensemble was established in 1977, by Benny Jones and members of the Tornado Brass Band. The Dirty Dozen revolutionized the New Orleans brass band style by incorpo ...

, who incorporated R&B sounds such as that of

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

into their repertoire. The film next discusses the ever-present musical sounds heard throughout New Orleans neighborhoods, and in particular the history of the

Tremé Tremé ( ) is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Tremé" is often rendered as Treme, and the neighborhood is sometimes called by its more formal French name, Faubourg Tremé; it is listed in the New Orleans City Planning Districts as Trem ...

neighborhood and the musical giants who lived and performed there, including

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

and Danny Barker.

talks about the history of

Congo Square Congo Square (french: Place Congo) is an open space, now within Louis Armstrong Park, which is located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, just across Rampart Street north of the French Quarter. The square is famous for its ...

, and Troy Andrews and Sammie Williams discuss what it was like to grow up in Tremé.

Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...

, Bob French, Michele Barard and Steve Jordan discuss the influences of Caribbean and African cultures on New Orleans music, including the practice of

voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * African or West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...

. A history of the

Mardi Gras Indians Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are black carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial apparel. Collectively, their organizations are called ...

is presented by

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος ('' kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varia ...

and Charles Neville, including the influence of their uncle Big Chief Jolly. The New Orleans style of piano playing is discussed, mentioning the long line of pianists to come out of the city, and featuring

James Booker James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was a New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Booker's unique style combined rhythm and blues with jazz standards. Musician Dr. J ...

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

and Professor Longhair.

describes the technical differences between the styles of Domino and Longhair. The Southern-ness of the music is discussed by Toussaint, including the inspiration for his composition " Southern Nights". The impact of

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crimes against hum ...

on the New Orleans music scene is discussed by various interviewees. The importance of the

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

to the local musical community is mentioned, including the nightclub's rejection of racial segregation among musicians and audience members, which was illegal at the time.

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

talks about how racial segregation was different in New Orleans than the rest of the South, saying "we did everything together except go to school together".

recalls an incident after playing a gig in Mississippi during the 1950s when a note was left on the windshield of their car saying the band was being watched by the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

. DJ, music promoter and record store owner Jim Russell tells of the troubles he encountered as a white man who wanted to play black music on his radio programs, as well as booking Art Neville and The Hawkettes into a white-only nightclub. A brief history of J&M Recording Studio is presented by co-owner

Cosimo Matassa Cosimo Vincent Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014) was an American recording engineer and studio owner, responsible for many R&B and early rock and roll recordings. Life and career Matassa was born in New Orleans in 1926.Komorowsk ...

, including the studio's policy of ignoring legal segregation and the influence of bandleader, producer and songwriter

Dave Bartholomew David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century. Originally ...

. Matassa also discussed the recording of several Little Richard hits at J&M accompanied by many New Orleans musicians including drummer Palmer.

recalls the success of his 1966 hit song " Tell It Like It Is" and its supporting tour, but claims he never received any royalties from the song.

describes the influence of the sound on early rock and roll, saying New Orleans musicians "put the roll into rock". The importance of The Meters on early funk is shared by Jon Cleary and Art Neville. Charles Neville discusses the various musical influences on

The Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1 ...

, and the next generation of Neville musicians. The film's historical narrative ends by returning to the importance of the unique beat of the New Orleans sound.

Interviewees

The following musicians or others involved in the New Orleans music scene are named and seen onscreen in an interview setting, often for small amounts of screen time. *

Ahmet Ertegun Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...

* Bob French *

* Charles Neville *

Cyril Neville Cyril Garrett Neville (born October 10, 1948) is an American percussionist and vocalist who first came to prominence as a member of his brother Art Neville's funky New Orleans-based band, The Meters. He joined Art in the Neville Brothers band u ...

* Fred Johnson Jr., Greg Stafford, and Benjamin Jones of Black Men of Labor * Gregory Davis * Ian Neville *

* Jim Russell *

* Ken Jackson, grandson of

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

founder Frank Painia *

* Michele Barard, voodoo scholar * Sammie Williams of Big Sam's Funky Nation * Steve Jordan * Sylvester Francis * Troy Andrews * Victor Harris, Mardi Gras Indian chief

Performers

Full-length performances

The following musicians or bands are seen in the live concert segments of the film, with house band Poppa Funk's Boys, led by drummer Steve Jordan. Full-length performances of the songs (listed in order of appearance) are: *

Irvin Mayfield Irvin Mayfield Jr. (born December 23, 1977) is an American trumpeter, composer, bandleader and educator. On November 3, 2021, Mayfield was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding the New Orleans public library system from over one mill ...

and Troy Andrews, performing "

Skokiaan "Skokiaan" is a popular tune originally written by Zimbabwean musician August Musarurwa (d. 1968, usually identified as August Msarurgwa on record labels) in the Tsaba-tsaba big band-style that succeeded Marabi. Skokiaan (Chikokiyana in Shona ...

" *

with guests Irvin Mayfield and Troy Andrews, performing "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now" *

Big Sam's Funky Nation Sammie 'Big Sam' Williams is a trombonist and band leader from New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been a member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and leads Big Sam's Funky Nation. Career In his youth, he studied with saxophonist Kidd Jordan and at Ne ...

with guest Troy Andrews, performing "Bah Duey Duey" *

Monk Boudreaux Monk Boudreaux (born Joseph Pierre Boudreaux; 1941 in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States) is an African-American musician and Big Chief of the Golden Eagles, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe. He is widely known for his long-time collaboration with ...

and the Golden Eagles, performing "Sew, Sew, Sew" * Toussaint and

, performing "

Tipitina "Tipitina" is a song written and made famous by Professor Longhair. The song has been widely covered, and the Professor Longhair version was recorded in 1953 for Atlantic Records. "Tipitina" was first released in 1953. A previously unreleased ...

" * Toussaint and

, performing "Old Records" * Toussaint and

, performing "

Lawdy Miss Clawdy "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is a song by New Orleans singer/songwriter Lloyd Price that "grandly introduced '' The New Orleans Sound''". It was first recorded by Price in 1952 with Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew during his first session for Art Rupe ...

" *

with guest vocalist

Ivan Neville Ivan Neville (born August 19, 1959) is an American multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of The Neville Brothers. Career He has released four solo (music), solo albums and ha ...

, performing " Rip It Up" *

, performing a medley of his compositions "

Fortune Teller Fortune telling is the practice of prediction, predicting information about a person's life.J. Gordon Melton, Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling ...

", "

Working in the Coal Mine "Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by the American musician and record producer Allen Toussaint. It was an international hit for Lee Dorsey in 1966, and has been recorded by other musicians including Devo in 1981. Lee Do ...

", and " A Certain Girl" *

, performing "What is Success" *

, performing "Fire on the Bayou" *

Walter "Wolfman" Washington Walter "Wolfman" Washington (December 20, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer and guitarist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. While his roots were in blues music, he blended in the essence of funk and R&B to cre ...

, performing " Barefootin'" *

Snooks Eaglin Fird Eaglin Jr. (January 21, 1936 or 1937 – February 18, 2009), known as Snooks Eaglin, was an American guitarist and singer based in New Orleans. In his early years he was sometimes credited under other names, including Blind Snooks Eaglin, ...

with guest George Porter Jr., performing " Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)" *

performing "I'm Ready" * Finale: all performers playing "Hey Pocky Way"

Henry Butler Henry Butler (September 21, 1948 – July 2, 2018) was an American jazz and blues pianist. He learned piano, drums, and saxophone in school. He received a college degree and graduate degree and taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative ...

Jonny Lang Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and has w ...

, Joss Stone,

Leo Nocentelli Leo Nocentelli (born June 15, 1946) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band The Meters. He wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as " Cissy Strut" and "Hey P ...

The Blind Boys of Alabama The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American Gospel music, gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a ch ...

, Irene Sage and

The Dixie Cups The Dixie Cups (formerly known as The Meltones) are an American pop music girl group of the 1960s. They are best known for a string of hits including their 1964 million-selling record "Chapel of Love", " People Say", and "Iko Iko". Career ...

also performed at the concert, but their appearances were not included in the final cut of the film.

Archival performance footage

The following musicians are seen in archival video clips (no full-length performances): *

* Professor Longhair

Other onscreen appearances

* Quint Davis appears on stage in the role of MC for the concert portions of the film * New Birth Brass Band,

Treme Brass Band The Treme Brass Band is a marching brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana led by snare drummer Benny Jones Sr. The band, which plays traditional New Orleans-style brass band music, features a shifting lineup that has included trumpeters Kermit ...

and Fi Yi Yi Mardi Gras Indians are seen in brief street performances * Alvin Batiste Sr. and Joseph C. Bloom II appear in the opening scene

Production

''Make it Funky!'' was director Murphy's first feature-length documentary film.

Development

The original working title of the film was ''Southern Nights'', with the concert promoted as "Make It Funky". The idea for the film was born at a visit by director Murphy and co-producer Cilista Eberle to a local music club named Donna's Bar & Grill, which features many of the city's brass bands at its North Rampart Street location. After the original idea to focus on an (unnamed) major New Orleans musician as the film's star fell through, the film evolved into a broader look at the city's rich musical history and its influence on several musical genres, including R&B,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, and

. Two years of planning and negotiations preceded the closing of the production and distribution deals. Overall, the project took five years to complete. Director Murphy is a fifth-generation New Orleanian and his company (Michael Murphy Productions) has produced numerous music-related programs for television, radio and live satellite broadcasts. Murphy rejected suggestions that the concert showcase be filmed in New York, which would have allowed for easier coverage by national media outlets. He said that it was a "very important element" that "all of the local musicians and guest stars will walk the same streets as

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temp ...

, breathe the same air, sit on the same bar stools." Although the film's exact budget is not known, one article described it as "seven-figures" with another saying it was "close to $3 million", with much of the financing coming from a

Hibernia National Bank Hibernia National Bank was a bank headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The bank was the primary subsidiary of Hibernia Corporation, a bank holding company. In November 2005, the bank was acquired by Capital One. Hibernia is the classical ...

loan collateralized in part by Murphy's personal assets including a second mortgage on his home. This documentary was the first film that the bank ever considered financing, although others have followed. The Louisiana Economic Development Corporation guaranteed a percentage of the bank loan. The film was shot in New Orleans with a predominantly local crew, which made the production eligible for approximately $300,000 in credits from Louisiana's then-two year old film industry tax credit incentive program. The New Orleans music and film commissions, as well as the governor's office of film and television development, were all integral to the early development of the project. Daniel Roth of

Revolution Studios Revolution Studios Distribution Company, LLC is an American motion picture and television studio headed by Chief Executive Officer Scott Hemming. The company focuses primarily on the distribution, remake and sequel rights to titles in its libra ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

was the film's executive producer and brokered the film's distribution deal with Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, which was later picked up by Sony. The original plan was to distribute the film worldwide to theaters, television and on DVD, with the goal of giving "the city's indigenous music an enormous boost by cultivating a deeper understanding of New Orleans' role in the development of contemporary music".

Pre-production

Columbia TriStar did not officially approve the project until March 25, 2004, leaving the producers with only four weeks to plan the concert, book performers, promote the show and sell tickets. The "Make It Funky" concert was held on April 27, 2004, which was the Tuesday between the two weekends of the

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

, when the city would experience a critical mass of performers and music fans available for the show.

Filming

The concert portion of the film was shot in a high-definition format with 11 cameras, and was recorded in

surround sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener (surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to s ...

. The concert at the Saenger Theatre lasted for almost six hours. Murphy said that he shot over 30 hours of footage all over the city, capturing images of neighborhoods that were later damaged or destroyed by the hurricane.

Release

The film had been scheduled for a wide theatrical release. Instead, as a consequence of Hurricane Katrina and Sony's decision to pull the film from theaters so as to not appear exploitative during the tragic time, it had a limited, single-day theatrical release on September 9, 2005 in New York at the Quad Cinemas in Manhattan and in Los Angeles at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. There were no flashy premieres or celebrations surrounding the film's release; the Los Angeles showing was free and open to the public, with attendees asked to fill a hat with money to be given to New Orleans musicians that were displaced by the storm. On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, Sony released the film in a dozen cities across the United States as a reminder of the cultural importance of New Orleans to the country.

Critical reception

Reviews of the film were generally positive. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film has an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a weighted average rating, the film has received an average score of 75 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' published a pre-release review in June 2005, with reviewer Eddie Cockrell saying Art Neville "narrates the town's history with satisfying detail" and further describes the narration as "illuminating". He praised the "spectacular trumpet challenge among Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield and Troy Andrews" and wrote that the film "could enjoy perfunctory big screen playdates but will really shake its tail feathers on cable and DVD". He said the film's "only missteps are a Vegas-like medley of locally-penned early rock tunes performed by Toussaint with the Jordan-organized house band and a heartfelt but strangely out-of-place run through "I'm Ready" featuring Palmer, Washington and effusive guest Keith Richards". In his ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' review published in conjunction with the film's limited release in that city, only 11 days after

made landfall, critic A. O. Scott wrote "Make it Funky! is the most heartbreaking movie I've seen in some time, all the more so because sorrow is the last thing on its mind. Michael Murphy's documentary, which celebrates the musical traditions of New Orleans … can also serve as an apt, wrenching elegy for the city's unique contribution to American culture." ''

New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...

'' reviewer Elizabeth Weitzman gave the film a rating of three stars, and began her review of the film's opening in New York with "Though it was clearly intended as a joyous celebration, timing has turned ''Make It Funky'', Michael Murphy's exultant documentary on New Orleans' musical heritage, into a poignant requiem." She concludes with "A suddenly vital biography … pays apt homage to the unique gifts New Orleans has given its country over the last century. Watching it ought to inspire anyone to return the favor." For the film's Los Angeles premiere, critic Kevin Thomas described the film as "infectious" and went on to write "there's not a second in this film that isn't a reminder that New Orleans in its architecture, cuisine and multicultural diversity as well as in its music is a unique and major center of culture. Murphy has made a film more valuable than he surely ever could have imagined." A ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...

'' review by Larry Katz stated that the film "is a guaranteed blast, whether you are an expert in Crescent City sounds or a total newcomer wondering what makes New Orleans music so special" and described it as "a most entertaining history lesson". The only "rotten" review of the film posted on Rotten Tomatoes was penned by Kyle Smith for the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' where he gave the film a rating of 2.5 out of 4, writing "The musicians swear this is dance music, but the beats are far too ponderous to get a rise out of the hip-hop generation." A review of the DVD in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine stated "had the human tragedy of Hurricane Katrina been averted, this exploration of Crescent City musical history would have been a happy treat. Instead, its effect is keenly piercing." Mike Clark's three-star DVD review in ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' said "Scheduled for release long before Katrina turned it into an odd mix of exuberance and heartbreak, this documentary/concert tribute to New Orleans is a bit clinical in the early going. Yet even these scenes are incalculably packed with extra meaning because they preserve geography and hangouts now permanently altered at best." New Orleans native Craig Lindsey, reviewing the newly released DVD for ''

The News & Observer ''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the ''Charlotte Observer''). The paper has bee ...

'' wrote "I could hardly get myself to sit down and watch 'Make it Funky!' without being reminded of what the film has come to represent. Before Katrina, it was a loving valentine to a city and its heritage. Now, it's an ill-timed, unfortunate tribute."

Screenings

Because Sony pulled the film from its planned release schedule, theatrical screenings were limited. The documentary was shown at a few film festivals prior to its official theatrical release on September 9, 2005, and had several benefit screenings in the aftermath of

Pre-release screenings

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, or NOCCA, is the regional, pre-professional arts training center for high school students in Louisiana. NOCCA opened in 1973 as a professional arts training center for secondary school-age children. Locate ...

(April 28, 2005), pre-release benefit screening *

, Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage (April 29, 2005), preview of selected film scenes plus an interview with Michael Murphy, Earl Palmer, Art Neville, and Cosimo Matassa *

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous f ...

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Chapter pre-release screening (June 23, 2005) *

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

Silverdocs Festival (June 16, 2005) *

Northwest Film Center PAM CUT–Center for an Untold Tomorrow, formerly the ''Northwest Film Center'' is a regional media arts resource and service organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States that was founded to encourage the study, appreciation, and utilizat ...

in conjunction with the

Waterfront Blues Festival The Waterfront Blues Festival is an annual event in Portland, Oregon, United States featuring four days of performances by blues musicians. The festival started in 1988 and takes place in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, along the west bank of the Wil ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

(July 2, 2005) * Napa Valley Wine Country Film Festival (July 28, 2005); opening film of the festival *

Satchmo SummerFest Satchmo SummerFest (also known as Satchmofest) is an annual music festival held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in celebration of the jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. It is held in early August in order to coincide with August 4, Armstrong's birthday ...

, New Orleans (early August 2005); the first film to be shown at the then-five year old free music festival

Post-Katrina benefit screenings

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy" benefit for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts (September 20, 2005); selected film scenes were aired during breaks from a star-studded, five-hour musical fundraiser * WorkPlay Theatre,

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

(October 19, 2005) to benefit the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

of Central Alabama and

MusiCares MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, personal, or medical crisis, ...

Roxie Theater The Roxie Theater, also known as the Roxie Cinema or just The Roxie, is a historic movie theater, founded in 1912, at 3117 16th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. It is a non-profit community arthouse cinema. History The Roxie is o ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California (beginning October 28, 2005) to benefit Louisiana Rebirth (Restoring the Soul of America) * North Boulevard Festival of Lights,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

(December 2, 2005) to benefit

FilmAid International FilmAid is a non-profit humanitarian organization that uses film to educate and entertain displaced people around the world. FilmAid was founded during the Kosovo War in 1999 by producer Caroline Baron ( Capote, Monsoon Wedding ''Monsoon W ...

; director Murphy and some of the musicians in the film were present at the screening * Renaissance Village,

FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Ex ...

trailer community that served as a temporary home to nearly 1700 Katrina evacuees, Baker, Louisiana (December 3, 2005) *

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

(December 10 and December 16, 2005) to benefit the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation * Mexicali Blues,

Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, th ...

(February 28, 2006) Mardi Gras Day screening to benefit various Katrina charities, with director Murphy in attendance * Ashland Armory,

Ashland, Oregon Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population was 21,360 at the 2020 cen ...

(April 7–8, 2006) to benefit

* Ozone Film Festival,

Covington, Louisiana Covington is a city in, and the parish seat of, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,564 at the 2020 United States census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River. Covington is part o ...

(April 22, 2006), to benefit the

New Orleans Film Festival The New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in mid-Oc ...

, which was cancelled in October 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina

Other film festival screenings

* Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, New Orleans (November 19, 2005) celebrating the center's 19th anniversary, with director Murphy in attendance * Miami Jazz Film Festival,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

(August 13, 2006); closing festival film * ReelheART International Film Festival,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada (June 23, 2007)

Television

* VH1 aired the film starting on September 14, 2005, to help mobilize relief efforts for New Orleans and the surrounding areas that were devastated by the hurricane. The film was shown simultaneously on VH1,

VH1 Classics MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Smooth, VH1 Classic Rock, and VH1 Classic) is an American pay television network owned by Paramount Media Networks. It was originally launched in 1998 as VH1 Smooth, an adult contemporary and smooth jazz channel. It wa ...

and

VH1 Soul BET Soul is an American pay television network that is controlled by the BET Networks division of Paramount Global, which owns the network. The channel showcases R&B, funk, soul, neo soul, hip hop, jazz and Motown music from various decades. T ...

, with the proceeds directed to

Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organizatio ...

and

. At the time, the airing of a film on television at the same that it was in planned theatrical release was unprecedented. *

Black Entertainment Television Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

aired the film on September 18, 2005. *

Sony Movie Channel Sony Movies (also known as Sony Movie Channel) is an American cable television channel that was launched on . Owned by the Sony Pictures Television subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, its programming consists of films from the Sony Picture ...

aired the film on July 15, 2014, as part of its second annual "Music Movie Month".

Awards and honors

* 2006: won the Jury Award (First place) in the Music category at the Napa Valley Wine Country Film Festival * 2007: won second place in the Music and Dance category at the ReelheART International Film Festival *

named the film as the number 71 best movie of 2005 * Named as one of the Top 4 DVDs of 2005 by '' OffBeat'' magazine

Home media

The DVD was released on September 27, 2005, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The release date had been announced prior to Hurricane Katrina. It was intentionally released on DVD soon after the planned theatrical release so it could be part of an educational curriculum on music history. Extra features on the DVD include the option to view the concert only, three short documentary features that "look at the culture of New Orleans, the role of family and the city's notable musicians" and a deleted scene titled "Showdown at the Funky Butt" of a trombone battle between Big Sam and Trombone Shorty at a nightclub. The DVD released in the U.S. contains subtitles in Chinese, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai and includes

closed captioning Closed captioning (CC) and subtitling are both processes of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information. Both are typically used as a transcription of the audio por ...

for the hearing impaired. The film was also released on DVD in Australia, Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. The film was released to streaming services on January 3, 2016.

References

External links

Official trailer
* *
Trailer at Metacritic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Make It Funky 2005 films 2005 documentary films American documentary films American independent films Documentary films about music and musicians Documentary films about the music industry Documentary films about New Orleans Films set in New Orleans Films shot in New Orleans 2000s English-language films 2000s American films