Joseph Bowie, a trombonist and the son of a St. Louis-based music educator, was the brother of Byron Bowie and the late trumpet player of Chicago’s Art Ensemble of Chicago’s Lester Bowie. Defunkt produced some of the most innovative sounds of the past quarter of the 20th Century. In 1978, Defunkt was formed. At first, they took a danceable approach. Their first three albums, Defunkt and Razor’s Edge (both 1978), made them leaders in New York’s underground music scene. However, they failed to meet commercial expectations, leading to their dissolution in 1983. Bowie fled to St. Croix. After Bowie’s 1986 return to New York, Defunkt was reorganized and recorded six more albums, including A Blues Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
