Commodores (1975) Cebu

The Commodores created this gem of an instrumental on the second album with it's strong 'Quiet Storm' vibe being very ahead of it's time. While their are some of their usual strongly syncopated funk this is played with a softer intensity; a calm groove made of up of a bed of thick ,waka-waka guitar and electric organ work. All played with tasteful restraint, the ethereal synthesizers aren't dramatic but are presented in a more soothing manner that few of their contemporaries outside of Smokey Robinson's Quiet Storm (1975) album were doing at this time. This brand of smooth funk subtly paints a vivid landscape as the music swells softly under layers of restrained RnB.  The dormant mix of instruments of harder soul music into a near tropical atmosphere is evidenced by the Island name of the track Cebu, and would greatly contribute towards the distinctive sound of the 'Quiet Storm' genre of the 80s and 90s.