Damn. Bernie Worrell just died.

[kwassa]

Mr. PFunk and Talking Heads.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/arts/music/bernie-worrell-whose-keyboards-left-an-imprint-on-funk-and-hip-hop-dies-at-72.html?_r=0

Bernie Worrell, the keyboardist whose anarchic solos and Moog synthesizer bass lines with Parliament-Funkadelic indelibly changed the sound of funk and hip-hop, died on Friday at his home in Everson, Wash. He was 72.

His wife, Judie Worrell, confirmed his death. He was told in January that he had late-stage lung cancer.

Mr. Worrell was the kind of sideman who is as influential as some bandleaders. A broadly grounded musician, he grew up playing classical piano and was adept at jazz, rock and R&B.

..................................

His stint in the 1970s as keyboardist and music director in groups led by George Clinton — Parliament, Funkadelic and their eventual merged identity of Parliament-Funkadelic, or P-Funk — taught generations of musicians and listeners that synthetic sounds could be earthy and untamed.

Mr. Worrell reached a new audience in the early 1980s as a member of the expanded Talking Heads, whose 1983 tour was documented in Jonathan Demme’s film “Stop Making Sense.” In the 1990s, Mr. Worrell’s synthesizer lines for P-Funk songs were widely recycled as hip-hop tracks, becoming the foundation for the West Coast rap — sometimes called G-Funk — of Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre.

Mr. Worrell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Parliament-Funkadelic in 1997.

One of his most famous bass lines in songs, and probably my favorite funk tune:

Edit to add: A relatively recent performance

Edit to add:

Listen to the synth lines in this Talking Heads performance. Bernie.

[missingthebigdog]

1. This year is really taking its toll on music.

[Person 2713]

3. Wizard of Woo RIP

Been listening To old PFunk tonight

[2naSalit]

4. ...

[librechik]

5. A great musician--Saw him last with Jon Baptiste on Colbert a couple of weeks ago

He didn't look well at all--RIP, beautiful one!

[JustAnotherGen]

6. He was in my town

Just last September playing at our little Jazz Festival. Nice guy.

[betsuni]

7. "Flashlight" has been one of my favorites since I heard it in a jazz dance class in 1978

as a teenager. Love!

[lovemydog]

8. rip Mr. Worrell

He made every song better.

[The Polack MSgt]

9. RIP Mr Worrell

&index=2&list=PLXI5JqpDsc_7eAtFtGxKohQzn6xEVkQ1X

[progressoid]

10. Damn.

He was a master on the keyboards.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. STOP IT, 2016!!! THIS IS TOO MUCH!!!