Late P-Funk legend Bernie Worrell’s final album finished and released

LOS ANGELES — Bernie Worrell, the late psychedelic funk pioneer and music legend of Parliament/Funkadelic and Talking Heads fame, is as known for his other-worldly persona as he is for his master of the synth and all things funkadelic. So, it’s no wonder his spirit posthumously helped in the recording sessions for Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse. Worrell’s first album released since leaving the physical world in 2016 is a star-studded double-album that features 13 tracks of previously unfinished works from the archives of the Wizard of Woo.

“We were re-amping [running previous audio through an amp] Bernie’s clavinet [a keyboard] recording at my studio, Loantaka Sound, and the lights were dim, and I was only hearing his isolated keyboard, almost as if he was working out a part,” explains Evan Taylor, Worrell’s long-time collaborator, musical director, and most recently producer of Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse. “I swear I could feel his energy. I was waiting to hear him say, ‘Hey man…’ It was definitely a moment in which I got goosebumps. These moments would persist during the project especially during final playbacks when we would all look at each other and speechlessly affirm we had done him justice.”

Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse is truly a crash course on the funk genius of the P-Funk star. It was recorded in-part at Taylor’s studio, Loantaka Sound, and released on Org Music initially on vinyl on Record Store Day (April 20, 2024) and then digitally and on CD this summer at all DSPs (linktr.ee/bernieworrell). The lineup includes Bootsy Collins (James Brown, P-Funk), Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), Fred Schneider (The B-52s), Mike Watt (The Minutemen, The Stooges), Leo Nocentelli (The Meters) and Sean Ono-Lennon, Leo Nocentelli, Miho Hatori, Steve Scales, Marc Ribot, Fred Wesley, Marco Benevento, Stanton Moore, Steven Bernstein, Daru Jones, Will Calhoun, Buckethead, Norwood Fisher, and many more.

Worrell’s music and vibes were universally believed to be out of this world, in more ways than one. “He told me he wasn’t from here,” as Taylor, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and recording studio owner raised in New Jersey and living in Los Angeles, tells One West magazine. “I think we were in Montana, and he was smoking a cigarette outside and was just sorta looking up at the solar system. Then he turned to me and said, ‘Evan, you know, I’m not from here.’ And I believe him. I think all of those guys are from some other planet.”

It’s also no wonder that Taylor felt the late musician’s presence at that moment in the studio. The two were always in lockstep musically, having collaborated for over 15 years. Taylor, whose first big project as a producer was 2010’s critically acclaimed Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie: Reinterpreting Black Flag, started working with Worrell, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as a member of Parliament/Funkadelic where he helped created notable songs such as “Flash Light,” “Mothership Connection (Star Child),” and “Five Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker),” in 2009. He served as musical director for the 10-piece Bernie Worrell Orchestra, sharing the stage with other legends such as George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Talking Heads, and co-producing three of Worrell’s records — acclaimed 2010 Standards and two EPs Prequel and BWO Is Landing.

“Working with Bernie was always a collaborative and diplomatic experience,” explains Taylor. “Bernie wanted to hear from everyone in the room. Even though Bernie wasn’t in the room with us, we wanted to make sure we kept his spirit alive in what we were doing. We knew we needed to make sure we were not just doing what we wanted but were serving Bernie. My goal was to make sure  the tracks were timeless to what Bernie’s life and experience on Earth was.”

When Worrell passed in 2016, he left behind a treasure trove of musical delights of unfinished songs, ideas, lyrics, and snippets of sonic magic. These compositions remained untouched for years, collecting dust on reels of two-inch analog tape. In the years following his passing, the tapes were re-examined to analyze his nuanced creative method. After a period of deep reflection, the Bernie Worrell estate decided it was time to complete his vision. That’s where Evan Taylor comes in.

“At first, it was too upsetting to think about Bernie’s passing, hear that music, and be around it,” Taylor tells One West magazine. “So, I really did distance myself from that scene after he passed. But after some time went by, it was fun to dip my feet in the water again. After some time his widow, Judie, called me and she was looking for a home for the project. It just seemed like the time was right. I was ready to do this, like, emotionally and skill-wise.”

Taylor began work on the project in 2022. He was given materials in various stages of development, including the list of guest stars. “That was a fun process,” he recalls. “We had a few artists who had already committed to being on the album, like (Living Colour drummer) Will Calhoun, (Meters guitarist) Leo Nocentelli, and (Talking Heads guitarist/keyboardist) Jerry Harrison. Some of them had already recorded stuff and some of it was scrapped. But ultimately, it was very spontaneous. We would think, ‘Who would be a good fit?’ And then, ‘Have we contacted them? How do we contact them?’”

One standout track, “Transcendence,” was uncovered with a simple hand-written note that read “has potential” from avant-garde producer Bill Laswell (Fela Kuti, Motorhead, Laurie Anderson), is now a 17-minute meditation exploring Worrell’s classical influence before segueing into a trancy groove thanks to Marc Ribot (Tom Waits) and Norwood Fisher (Fishbone). “Soldiers of Stars,” sounds like the best of P-Funk, thanks in no small part to P-Funk All Stars alum Eric McFadden’s guitar. “Re-enter Black Light Phase 11” featuring Sean Ono Lennon is a cinematic, jazz fusion sonic dream.