When Prince replaced John Blackwell on drums with Cora many fans complained.

I was listening to some recordings from Vegas 2006/2007 and groove

of Prince's music was very much in the pocket.

Maybe it had to do with something being a married couple but Josh and Cora

added the tightness to Prince sound

and that rhythm section is better then Ida Blackwell,not in term of who plays better but who is more in the pocket.

Dunhams were cool. But I'd take Blackwell/Ida or Blackwell/Rhonda any day. Not only for their (in my opinion) superior musicianship (not that the Dunhams weren't bad MFs in their own right), but also they bring more to personality to the band. But it's all personal preference, really.

I agree with you Banishedone. Prince was doing different things back then and needed a different kind of musician. If you look at the stage set up, it was all Prince up front and the band literally and physically "in the pocket" at the back of the stage. This time around it is more a show band type set up with girls on bass, dancers, etc. Like Toejam said, it is about personality. I disagree that Ida/Rhonda are better bass players than Josh though, and so would most bass players (I play bass). An example of how much love the Dunhams' receive from the industry, one of the worlds greatest luthiers, Jens Ritter, has created a signature bass for Josh and the name is "The Cora." This is not the same thing as a Fender "endorsement", or a "sponsorship". He built the thing from the ground up FOR Josh. Ritter has a bass in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian institute. There are exactly 2 basses in that collection. The very first electric bass, and Jens Ritters'. If he thinks that highly of Josh and his playing....

The Ritter Cora

listen to the Josh's bass solo at the start of Alphabet street at the final aftershow from the 21 nights in London. He has the funk!.

They could "play" and were capable musicians, but they were hella boring. There was NOTHING at all that stood out about them, and I'm so glad they didn't have a long run in Prince's band.

Funny, before when they were still with Prince, people were saying how much they needed to get the hell out of the band, but just a couple of years later, now people are saying just how "funky" and tight they were. Figures.

alexnvrmnd777 said:

They could "play" and were capable musicians, but they were hella boring. There was NOTHING at all that stood out about them, and I'm so glad they didn't have a long run in Prince's band.

Funny, before when they were still with Prince, people were saying how much they needed to get the hell out of the band, but just a couple of years later, now people are saying just how "funky" and tight they were. Figures.

Like I said, it was a different show. And I don't know who "people" are. I was talking from a musicians point of view. But I agree, the Josh side step is not a lot to look at. But he was in the back, Prince was still the Alpha male on the stage. Now he allows others to do the hunting as well.

thebanishedone said:

When Prince replaced John Blackwell on drums with Cora many fans complained.

I was listening to some recordings from Vegas 2006/2007 and groove

of Prince's music was very much in the pocket.

Maybe it had to do with something being a married couple but Josh and Cora

added the tightness to Prince sound

and that rhythm section is better then Ida Blackwell,not in term of who plays better but who is more in the pocket.

I TOTally agree...Ida plays slightly ahead (P. once complained about AC for having that tendency) and for this reason the funk never lifts off...cora and josh pocket was at least tight, if not deep funk

just was listening to 'strange relationship' at melkwig...that groove should have burnt the house to the ground...and it wAs killin'...but COUld have caused china syndrome with the right bass player/drummer combo

I prefer Rhonda over Ida.

John Blackwell over Cora.

Everybody over Josh.

this thread x 1000

Josh Dunham does not at all come to mind. I can't think of a groove I've ever heard him do. Maybe stuff on the past couple albums has had him doing bass, but it doesn't stick out to me.

Cora's drumming is definitely okay, but I have not heard good examples of her soloing really. You can always tell when Prince really digs his musicians, he will give them gratuitous solos. Remember like every damn bandmember got a huge solo on every damn song during the 94-96 NPG.

Tommy's Wurlitzer solos were all over the place, I think Hayes is the only one who didn't really solo back then cuz he was on the organ?

Anyway these last musicians he has had around after the ONA band are unremarkable to me. I do not like Renato Neto and his trademark SciFi sound effects, but I like Blackwell and Rhonda together. They play very good together, she gets really deep into it when Blackwell goes crazy (which he tends to like to do).

Hunh unh, give me Blackwell banging on thodr drums.

I loved Cora's drumming.

Super tight, heavy, in the pocket, and her hi-hat and cymbal work were more solid.

John's playing is just a different style. He plays like a Jazz drummer - well articulated accents and fills. Cora's style with Prince was more like a heavy Funk/Rock.

I love both styles, but with Prince's recent live stuff, I prefer the Dunhams.

I think that the Indigo Nights album displayed Josh and Cora's talents pretty well. I especially liked that version of Rock Steady w/ Beverley Knight.

Tremolina said:

this thread x 1000

Tremolina you don't have a clue,i bet you don't know what a chord is,go home,you are boring

thebanishedone said:

Tremolina said:

this thread x 1000

Tremolina you don't have a clue,i bet you don't know what a chord is,go home,you are boring

Well said. Move on down the road.

Spinlight said:

Cora's drumming is definitely okay, but I have not heard good examples of her soloing really. You can always tell when Prince really digs his musicians, he will give them gratuitous solos. Remember like every damn bandmember got a huge solo on every damn song during the 94-96 NPG.

Good points, but when a musician is at the level that these people are, they can solo. That is a given. Like I said in my first post, the job of the band at that point was to provide the foundation for Prince to be out front. They were more of a traditional rhythm section in that sense. The era before that was all about the NPG. This was about re establishing the Prince brand. Now that he is not carrying as much of the show himself, he puts the band out front again.

alexnvrmnd777 said:

They could "play" and were capable musicians, but they were hella boring. There was NOTHING at all that stood out about them, and I'm so glad they didn't have a long run in Prince's band.

Funny, before when they were still with Prince, people were saying how much they needed to get the hell out of the band, but just a couple of years later, now people are saying just how "funky" and tight they were. Figures.

5 years is a long tiime to be in Prince's band.

And any musician that plays with Prince is talented. Josh and Cora is no exception

802 said:

And any musician that plays with Prince is talented. Josh and Cora is no exception

I would not say that.

Spinlight said:

802 said:

And any musician that plays with Prince is talented. Josh and Cora is no exception

I would not say that.

except for Andy Allo they're all talented.

[Edited 8/12/11 1:21am]

thebanishedone said:

When Prince replaced John Blackwell on drums with Cora many fans complained.

I was listening to some recordings from Vegas 2006/2007 and groove

of Prince's music was very much in the pocket.

Maybe it had to do with something being a married couple but Josh and Cora

added the tightness to Prince sound

and that rhythm section is better then Ida Blackwell,not in term of who plays better but who is more in the pocket.

True! They dont got much of a show, but they r tight! dont know bout cora above john though. But josh is def better than ida or rhonda. But then again, ida or rhonda are better eye candy and they are good enough.

I agreed more with your previous opinion:

Josh's playing was pretty nondescript to me, while Ida has that fat bass sound up front the way I like it. While I get what you're saying about Cora and Josh being in the pocket, Ida and John's playing-style win out for me.

I prefer Ida* over Sunny T - and Levi S. over Rhonda.

John Blackwell over Cora.

Everybody over Josh.

*Ida is great on the bass, and she's danish,

we are so proud in my little country....

No Prince did not sound super tight with the Dunhams...

I'd rather have Blackwell playing with just one arm and no bassist at all rather than Josh & Cora.

^Nuff said.

The WORST rhythm of Prince's 33 year career.

NEXT!

vitriol said:

I'd rather have Blackwell playing with just one arm and no bassist at all rather than Josh & Cora.

^Nuff said.

you're funny.

Kara said:

I agreed more with your previous opinion:

http://prince.org/msg/5/346173

Thread started 10/27/10 5:18pm

thebanishedone

Josh and Cora vs. Ida and Blackwell

those of you who heard the new concerts and those done by Dunham rhythm section

which is better for Prince's sound and you like more?

For me it's Blacwell and Ida

reasons: Josh sounded almoust inaudiable.It was the first time

Prince's music lost the bass bottom.

Ida is a heavy funk thumping groover .

It seems to me that John Blakwell push Prince's guitar

playing to be more virtuoso which i dig.

Cora is great but nothing compared to John.

Josh's playing was pretty nondescript to me, while Ida has that fat bass sound up front the way I like it. While I get what you're saying about Cora and Josh being in the pocket, Ida and John's playing-style win out for me.

haha Kara you suprised me with this one yeah i wrote that but that post was maybe a bit igornant on my side

Leonche64 explaind the best:

They were more of a traditional rhythm section in that sense. The era before that was all about the NPG. This was about re establishing the Prince brand.