The JoGo Project Celebrates Parliament Funkadelic
Vivid. Surreal. Psychedelic. Unpredictable. Parliament Funkadelic was the mind-blowing, soul-expanding musical equivalent of an acid trip. As the mad genius behind P-Funk, George Clinton – a former staff writer for Motown — drew inspiration from the wellspring of Soul, Funk, Rock and freestyle experimentation that drove the late 60s music of James Brown, Sun Ra, Sly & the Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. The guiding principles of The Funk embraced universality and Afrofuturism — an ongoing socio-political commentary, never too serious but still heartfelt, that invited anyone to “ride the Mothership” into outer space if they could just “free their mind.”
The JoGo Project is one of the busiest bands in the greater Washington, DC area, coming up on its 10th year since inception. Fusing many styles of music, JoGo is a cranking Go-Go band with Jazz harmonies and melodies at the core. Founded by DC native and in-demand saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed (and one of Chuck Brown's last saxophonists), The JoGo Project is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Chuck Brown, promoting DC's Go-Go music, and continuing to find their own sound while exploring the fusions of Jazz and Go-Go musics.
