Funk diva (and Miles muse) Betty Davis and Bay Area rapper Too Short did things their way; the former suffered the consequences, the latter reaped the benefits. WP celebrates visionaries like Brazilian pianist Joao Donato, conga royalty King Errisson, reedman Ornette Coleman, rapper Pharoahe Monch, and rhythmatist Steve Reid.

re:Discovery V.I.P. Connection, Mission Men, The Dynamites, Willie Walker, The Fantastic Johnny C In Memoriam: Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2007), Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), Marshall Sehorn (1934-2006) Watering Hole Soul The Funkier Side of U.K. Cabaret Audio Heritage: An Archival Perspective on Recorded Media Subject: Magnetic Tape (pt. 2 of 3) Pipe Dream Local Plumber Searches for the Sound of Birmingham True to Self JB Diva Marva Whitney Comes Back to the Foundation Records are Forever Kon and Amir are Vinyl High Rollers The Ruler’s Back Underground Hip-Hop Hero Pharoahe Monch Returns to Form B-Boy Narrative The Brazilian Dance Tradition Sao Paulo, Brazil Photo essay Soul Harmony Freddie Terrell Balances the Sacred and Secular Bossa’s Boss Joao Donato Steered Brazilian Music Into New Directions A Well Measured Journey Steve Reid Explores Rhythms in Real Time Coronation of a King King Errisson is No Longer the Unsung Hero Sound Advice Ornette Coleman Finds the Eternal in Theory Liberated Sister Siren Betty Davis Found Funk as a Platform for Empowerment Game for Days Too Short is in it for the Long Hustle Still Life Rhettmatic Remains Drawn to the Art Urban Legend Lifesavas Imagine Blaxploitation Homage Martha Cooper’s B-Girls Martha Cooper