After making its local debut a year ago, Washington, D.C.’s The Funk Ark returns to Ashkenaz with its gritty and soulful mix of Afrobeat and big-band world funk. Its original music draws on influences from the African and Latin/funk dance scenes of the ’60s and ’70s. With a second CD just out, “High Noon,” the band is back on the road. According to the Washington Post, “The Funk Ark are quickly establishing themselves as one of the city’s best sweat-producing acts.” Bandleader Will Rast explains, “To me, funk is the universal connection linking all music – people like James Brown and the JBs; The Meters; Santana; Fela Kuti; Medeski, Martin and Wood and The Fania All-Stars. The Funk Ark is my shot at making the music that I love to listen to.” Along with keyboard player and composer Rast, the Funk Ark is trumpeter-percussionist Joe Herrera, guitarists Wayan Zoey and Greg Loman, bass player Marc Blackwood, drummer Lee Durham, and conga player-percussionist Josh Kay.

The bottom-end beat is the foundation of Bass Culture, the Bay Area’s original reggae and neo-soul dance band that features music and artists from Bass Culture Productions. Its style draws on a foundation of R&B, West African, soca, funk, and ska. Group members bring experience from their work in countless bands: Trinidadian lead vocalist NezB (he was lead singer in the Bay Area’s first reggae band, Obeah, and has also worked with OJ Ekemode and Jackie Mittoo), guitar ace Jay Stone Collins (Funkanauts, 7th Street Sound), keyboardist-vocalist Parabar Martin Weber (Pablo Moses, Itals), bassist Gary Nelson (Judy Mowatt, Joe Higgs, Zulu Spear), and drummer Joel Elrod (Afrolicious, Samba Keur Fouta).