Never have a band been so appropriately named as Funk Inc. The self-titled 1971 debut album from the 5- piece contains a couple of monstrous acid jazz funk tracks, their supa-tight eight-minute cover of Kool & The Gang’s Kool Is Back and the churning organ jam Sister Janie. 

The Rudy Van Gelder production is clear and punchy, with perfectly isolated instrument parts and super snappy drums across the five tracks, none of which are under five minutes. They turn in a classy take on BB King’s The Thrill Is Gone with plenty of edgy, stoned guitar work, and finisher The Whipper has a church-flavoured boogie feel to it that looks back to swinging early sixties soul-jazz. The first of a series of excellent jazzy funk records from Funk Inc. 

– Harold Heath