Don't Forget The Funk

A couple of Thursday nights ago, I wanted to watch the documentary about the musicians who were the the players on almost all of the Motown hits. They were know as the Funk Brothers. Most of them were Jazz musicians but could play other styles. They recorded in the Snake Pit which was the name for the first floor studio in Motown's home/office/studio.

From this small space, the Funk Brothers would play take after take until the song was right. It was all live due to the limitations of recording technology back in the day. So, the Snake Pit was an apt name. Motown had very high standards and the exacting nature of the work was stressful. Much of the recognition deserved to the Funk Brothers was never given. In fact, until Marvin Gaye's legendary album and late in Motown's run, What's Going On, these musicians were never even listed in the record's liner notes.  They played in anonymity.  Yet, their innovative musicianship was the backbone for the Motown songbook. No musicians, no music. If you have not listened to this landmark album ever or even recently, do so. 

In a sad irony, I couldn't find the documentary on Netflix. Neither on Amazon Prime. And the DVD that used to also be called Netflix stated that the DVD was a "very long wait." I did find it on YouTube for a $3.99 24 hour rental. The documentary was an effort to document the work of these musicians and most of them were still alive when it was made. Sadly, the documentary itself is in the shadows. It was a great watch and very much worth the money. It was the least I could do. One of the Funk Brothers still plays on Monday nights at a Club in Detroit. My itinerary had me flying out so I missed him.

It is a fact that most of us will be at best Funk Brothers. Unheralded but essential to some organization, be it school, business, family, and/or church, etc. What impressed me about the Funk Brothers was that they weren't bitter. They loved the music. The money and the acclaim would have been appreciated but it was not forthcoming. As older men, they didn't nurse their grievances from what I could tell. They remembered the work and the good times and shed the negatives. There were a lot of laughs and some tears for those who broke under the pressure. 

When we put our hand to a work, we shouldn't expect and anticipate appreciation and acknowledgment. Sometimes it does come, often it passes by. The truth is that much of acclaim is pretty hollow. The crowd's applause and adulation has a short-tenure. We are all adjuncts in the classroom of life. Here for a while and then gone. "A vapor" as James writes. So, find what you love and where you derive purpose. Invest in it. Do your best. Don't expect attention. Find joy in it and trust that God keeps an eternal account.