I made a significant oversight when I failed to mention Stevie Wonder (Highest Ground, I Wish, Superstitious, etc.)
One work of note if you want instrumental funk has to be the one by the Average White Band.
The did a session on the BBC for a show called ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ and played an extended version of ‘Pick up the Pieces’ which turned out to be very close to a jam session, very funky and very close to jazz.
This has been released as an album in itself.
Average White Band - Live on the test - its on the Windsong label CD Number WHISCCD005
There are several other very extended songs on there too, this would almost exactly fit your requirements.
If you cannot get hold of a copy, let me know.
I cannot believe that everyone has missed the obvious classic funk instrumental, there will be the collective striking of foreheads with the palm of the hand for this.
Isaac Hayes - Shaft
another instrumental that everyone in the world has heard, but no one actually knows the title is,
Stone Fox Chase - Area Code 615. This start of with the instantly recognisable mouth harp riff, its one that should be in the minds of all funk fans.
The Beginning of the End - Funky Nassau
Rufus Thomas - Funky Chicken
We’ve also missed out,
Brass Construction.
Grand Funk Railroad
One that very few here will know of is David Amor, and his eponymously titled album Amor.
This is a really good CD, very hard for most folk to get but its a very modern take on funk, well worth seeking out, again, if you can’t locate a copy, let me know.
I know Gil Scott Heron can sound very jazzy.
But check out some of his old stuff.
The guy was way ahead of the pack in the 70’s. His stuff was not so much good-time music, it was more techno-funk social commentary. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is, to my mind, sort of spoken-word-funk.
Has anyone mentioned Sly and the Family Stone yet?
Plent of good recommendations…BUT, the word buddy comes up 2x and neither as in Buddy Miles!. This 30 second audio sample is funk => Them Changes.
Also, IMHO. a great alternate (non-R&B) bridge between the blues and funk would be John Lee Hooker’s “Free Beer & Chicken”
Are there any instrumental (zero vocals) funk bands?
I heard a great definition for funk (I think it was Prince that said it); if it makes your head bob, its funk.
I borrowed a live Earth, Wind & Fire cd from the library that had Philip Bailey singing so high and pure that the hair on my arms was standing up. Now that’s singing.
A good introduction to funk (that rarely leaves my car) is my 20th Century Masters Best of Funk collection (What the Funk). It has a lot of the people already mentioned on it - it’s pretty mainstream, but a lot of fun.