Trouble Funk

Despite massive hype, the funky go-go sound of Washington, D.C., failed to take the nation by storm in the mid-'80s. Above all else, go go is a live event: Drums and assorted percussion cook up itchy polyrhythmic jams, spiced by floating JB-style horn riffs, spare keyboard washes, call-and-response vocals, and the occasional rap. Audience participation is key, and, unlike the early hip-hop scene,...