I'm listening to a boot from January 16th, 2003 at the Dakota Jazz Club and still blown away by the great improvisation of the band that played at this gig. Ronald Bruner Jr. and Andrew Gouche would make a powerhouse rhythm section in Prince's band. Contrast that to Hannah Ford's drumming during the Montreux gigs this summer, the difference is staggering.

I'm guessing RBJ got tired of waiting for Prince to call for him and found other gigs, but if the decision to keep Hannah in the NPG was about money, Just get rid of the backup singers or some of the horn players. John Blackwell brought so much to the NPG that after he went to pursue his teaching career at Berklee, I was hoping that RBJ would be permanent.

Does anybody else wish RBJ was in the NPG? Have RBJ in NPG and Hannah in 3RD EYE GIRL.

He was really good.. it wan.t about money i dont beleive.. His last FB post back in Feb was that "the paint has been gone in hard tonight" loving purple land...this is before SXSW...JOhn ends up playing SXSW as he knows the material and routine so i'm thinkingf there was a falling out before then and he was gone just like that.. Prince is wealthy, he can affotrd him

I feel you. Hannah is not a funk drummer and hearing her with the NPG Hornz is good but she doesn't have the heavy hand of either Blackwell or Bruner and it is noticable at times. If the NPG is the soulful branch of the two units, then Bruner would provide the music dynamics to play those JB, P-Funk and Curtis Mayfield covers.

Agree! The Bruner/Gouche combo makes a real difference, not only in the jazzy intrumental set of January 16th, but in the NPG set the night after as well.

You can't underestimate how musical backgrounds can effect the sound of an artist. For example, I was listening to Montreux 2013 and when the band went into "We're A Winner" by Curtis Mayfield, it was good, but Bruner's experience with playing with Chaka and Stanley Clarke and probably a little bit of gospel could add more intensity into those kind of songs. Not to mention Bruner/Gouche are some big guys and it's evident in their playing.

Which makes me still say. Get rid of some of the horn players (does Prince really need that many horn players?) and ditch the backup singers.

Hannah Ford is great at playing rock but I can't shake the feeling that she is faking the funk on the kit.