Mandrill

One of the most progressive funk bands, Mandrill brandish a jam-heavy form of funk liberally infused with Latin, Caribbean, and jazz influences, plus gospel, blues, psychedelia, African music, and straight-up rock. Early on, their unconstrained approach was a definite influence on the Parliament-Funkadelic collective -- an embryonic incarnation of which opened for them -- and their grooves have since been sampled by dozens upon dozens of rap and R&B producers. Throughout the '70s, their busiest decade as a recording and performing act, Mandrill hit the main Billboard album cha...