Funky Friday – Episode 62: Tuxedo Jones

🎧 Quick Links:

🎧 Listen live on KDOG 9 AM Pacific Time→ Here

🎧 Listen live on KCSM HD2 9 PM Pacific Time→ Here (On mobile, scroll down to the KCSM HD2 player)

📆 Add to Calendar — Funky Friday (Weekly):

• 9 AM KDOG

Add to Google Calendar

• 9 PM KCSM HD2

Add to Google Calendar

🎶 Catch the Replay → Here

📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here

📂 Renegade Radio Site → Here

Airdate: 4.10.26 - 9 AM Pacific Time on KDOG & 9 PM Pacific Time on KCSM HD2

Happy Funky Friday, Renegades of Funk!

Funky Friday – Episode62: Tuxedo Jones

Funky Friday Episode 62 will carry a different kind of weight. Not heavy. Not somber. Just present. This set will be dedicated to TJ, known in certain circles as Tuxedo Jones, a black and white, curly-haired Lhasa Apso mix dog who brought seventeen years of personality, presence, and unmistakable style into every room he entered.

The show will open with warmth and familiarity. The kind that does not need explanation. Just the Two of Us will set the tone immediately, followed by Lowdown and Takin’ It to the Streets to ease into a groove that feels natural, unforced, and lived in. This will not feel like a performance. It will feel like remembering.

From there, the energy will rise. Give Me the Night will bring movement. Shining Star will add lift. Forget Me Nots will lock into the pocket. Then Superman Lover will stretch things out and settle into a deeper groove. This section will carry the swagger. The confidence. The sense that some personalities do not try to stand out. They simply do.

The middle of the set will lean into joy. Sir Duke will brighten the room. Ain’t Nobody will bring a familiar pulse that settles in without asking for attention. This will be the part of the show that reminds listeners how easily a groove can carry the moment forward.

The final stretch will shift without forcing it. Human Nature will slow things down just enough to create space. As will sit at the center, not as a farewell, but as a statement that presence does not disappear. It continues.

The close will not fade out quietly. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now will lift the energy one more time before Atomic Dog brings it home with personality intact. A signature ending. A reminder that this was never about saying goodbye.

It will move. It will breathe. It will carry.

This one rides for TJ.

Funky Friday – Episode 62: Tuxido Jones

🔥 SETLIST + RENEGADE NOTES

Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers — “Just the Two of Us” (1981)

Personnel: Grover Washington Jr. (saxophone), Bill Withers (vocals), Ralph MacDonald (percussion), William Salter (bass), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Opening presence. No announcement needed. The groove arrives gently and settles into place, creating space before anything asks for attention.

Boz Scaggs — “Lowdown” (1976)

Personnel: Boz Scaggs (vocals), David Paich (keyboards), Jeff Porcaro (drums), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Groove establishes itself. The rhythm tightens while remaining relaxed. Nothing rushes. Everything sits exactly where it belongs.

The Doobie Brothers — “Takin’ It to the Streets” (1976)

Personnel: Michael McDonald (vocals, keyboards), Patrick Simmons (guitar), Doobie Brothers ensemble.

Renegade Note: Statement through restraint. The groove carries weight without pushing forward. Tone and phrasing give the track its presence.

George Benson — “Give Me the Night” (1980)

Personnel: George Benson (vocals, guitar), Quincy Jones (producer), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Energy enters. The rhythm steps forward and begins to move the room. The transition feels natural, not introduced.

Earth, Wind & Fire — “Shining Star” (1975)

Personnel: Maurice White (vocals, production), Verdine White (bass), Earth, Wind & Fire ensemble.

Renegade Note: Brightness. The groove lifts and opens outward. The energy expands while staying grounded in rhythm.

Patrice Rushen — “Forget Me Nots” (1982)

Personnel: Patrice Rushen (vocals, keyboards), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Pocket locked. The groove settles into repetition. Rhythm carries the movement without needing variation.

Johnny “Guitar” Watson — “Superman Lover” (1976)

Personnel: Johnny “Guitar” Watson (vocals, guitar), Watson ensemble.

Renegade Note: Extended presence. The groove stretches and holds. Time slows without stopping. Personality defines the space.

Stevie Wonder — “Sir Duke” (1976)

Personnel: Stevie Wonder (vocals, horns, keyboards), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Celebration. The rhythm remains steady while melody takes over. Joy becomes the dominant force.

Rufus & Chaka Khan — “Ain’t Nobody” (1983)

Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals), Rufus ensemble.

Renegade Note: Pulse continues. The groove stays forward, but emotion begins to surface beneath it. Familiarity deepens the connection.

Michael Jackson — “Human Nature” (1983)

Personnel: Michael Jackson (vocals), Steve Porcaro (synthesizer), Toto session members.

Renegade Note: Shift inward. The rhythm softens and creates space. Texture replaces movement as the primary driver.

Stevie Wonder — “As” (1976)

Personnel: Stevie Wonder (vocals, keyboards), session ensemble.

Renegade Note: Core statement. The groove continues without interruption, reinforcing the idea that presence does not end. It carries forward.

George Clinton — “Atomic Dog” (1982)

Personnel: George Clinton (vocals, production), P-Funk ensemble.

Renegade Note: Signature close. The groove becomes identity. Personality remains after the music ends.

🔗 Quick Links:

🎧 Listen live on KDOG 9 AM Pacific Time→ Here

🎧 Listen live on KCSM HD2 9 PM Pacific Time→ Here (On mobile, scroll down to the KCSM HD2 player)

📆 Add to Calendar — Funky Friday (Weekly):

• 9 AM KDOG

Add to Google Calendar

• 9 PM KCSM HD2

Add to Google Calendar

🎶 Catch the Replay → Here

📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here

📂 Renegade Radio Site → Here

Funk Facts

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🎷 Grover Washington Jr. — Smooth Jazz Meets Funk

“Just the Two of Us” blends jazz phrasing with a steady funk groove. The rhythm stays simple, allowing the melody and vocal delivery to carry the track without losing its foundation.

🎹 Boz Scaggs — Studio Precision Groove

“Lowdown” is built on session-level precision, with members of Toto shaping the rhythm section. The groove feels relaxed, but every element is tightly controlled beneath the surface.

🎤 The Doobie Brothers — Soul in the Groove

“Takin’ It to the Streets” blends rock structure with soul phrasing, driven by Michael McDonald’s vocal delivery. The groove remains steady while emotion shapes how the track moves.

🌙 George Benson — Night Groove Architecture

“Give Me the Night” is produced with clarity and space, allowing rhythm and melody to move together. The groove feels open, but never loses direction.

✨ Earth, Wind & Fire — Funk as Uplift

“Shining Star” builds its groove through rhythm and message at the same time. The energy rises without complexity, showing how simplicity can still drive movement.

🎛️ Patrice Rushen — Bassline as Identity

“Forget Me Nots” is anchored by one of the most recognizable basslines in funk. The groove repeats with purpose, allowing consistency to define the track.

🎸 Johnny “Guitar” Watson — Extended Groove Form

“Superman Lover” stretches beyond traditional song structure. The groove holds steady while time expands, creating a space where rhythm and personality take priority.

🎺 Stevie Wonder — Horns as Motion

“Sir Duke” uses horn arrangements to carry the groove forward. Rhythm remains constant, but melodic phrasing creates the sense of movement.

🎙️ Rufus & Chaka Khan — Synth Pulse Foundation

“Ain’t Nobody” is built around a repeating synth pattern that defines the groove. The rhythm does not shift. It holds, allowing the vocal to move around it.

🌌 Michael Jackson — Texture Over Rhythm

“Human Nature” softens the groove and shifts focus to atmosphere. The rhythm supports the track, but tone and layering define the experience.

🎹 Stevie Wonder — Continuous Motion

“As” maintains a groove that does not break. The rhythm carries forward without interruption, reinforcing the idea of movement without ending.

🐾 George Clinton — Funk Identity

“Atomic Dog” blends humor, rhythm, and character into a single groove. The track does not separate style from sound. It becomes both.