Funky Snakefoot

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City on 10, 11, and 12 December 1973, with Mouzon performing drums and ARP Odyssey alongside Gary King on bass, Harry Whitaker on clavinet, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Barry Rogers on trombone, and Andy Gadsden on tenor saxophone. The album was produced by George Butler and arranged and conducted by Mouzon himself, with engineering by Dave Wittman. As the title track of Mouzon's second Blue Note album, 'Funky Snakefoot' exemplified a radical departure from the label's jazz tradition toward a raw, keyboard-driven funk and soul hybrid, pushing Blue Note further into the R&B market during its United Artists-era transition. AllMusic awarded the album four and a half stars, calling it a showcase of Mouzon's keyboard prowess as much as his drumming. The track and its parent album became prized crate-digging records, particularly for producers seeking drum breaks and clavinet-driven funk grooves, and the album's drum patterns have been widely sampled across hip-hop and electronic music. The record is regularly cited as one of the most distinctive and underappreciated entries in Blue Note's 1970s catalogue.