Tom Browne (born October 30, 1954, Queens, New York), commonly referred to … Read Full Bio ↴Tom Browne (born October 30, 1954, Queens, New York), commonly referred to as "Mr. Jamaica Funk", is a jazz trumpeter who rose to prominence first through his early work with Sonny Fortune and for his #1 charting 1980 single "Funkin' For Jamaica (N.Y)" and notable dance tracks like "Thighs High".

Browne originally played piano, having taken lessons from the age of 11. Turning to the trumpet, inspired by his collection of jazz albums, his first gig was in a Queens club, The Village Door. In 1975, he landed his first professional gig with Weldon Irvine.

From here he played with Sonny Fortune and Lonnie Smith and was later introduced to Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen at GRP Records via Earl Klugh. Grusin and Rosen signed him to GRP (via Arista Records) and Browne broke onto the music scene in 1979 with a highly acclaimed instrumental jazz fusion album "Browne Sugar", although this was not released in the UK. His first real breakthrough came in 1980 with the release of "Funkin' For Jamaica", taken from his second album "Love Approach. The single hit #1 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles for 4 weeks, and was also a UK Top 10 hit, and featured the lead vocals of Tonni Smith.

Continuing his association with producers Grusin and Rosen, his next albums were Yours Truly (1981), including "Fungi Mama" and "Bye Gones", and "Magic" (1982), before he signed directly to Arista. Here he progressed into an electro style of jazz with "Rockin' Radio" from a 1983 album of the same name (which also included a final GRP production "Brighter Tomorrow"). In 1984 he recorded a final Arista album Tommy Gun, which featured Siedah Garrett singing lead on the leading moment "Secret Fantasy" produced by Maurice Starr. Also in 1984 he recorded with Fuse One on their Ice album.

He also recorded with Roy Ayers on "Goree Island", taken from his In The Dark album. Browne moved to Malaco Records and performed a large amount of session work. In 2000, Browne re-recorded "Funkin' For Jamaica" on Jazz FM's 101 Eastbound compilation album alongside fellow jazz artist, Bob Baldwin. The track re-utilised the vocal skills of Tonni Smith (featured on the original).

Funkin' For Jamaica
Tom Browne Lyrics

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Jamaica funk, that's what it is
Let it get into you
C'mon I've got a groove
You know where I 'll be
Funkin' for Jamaica
If ya feel it let it get into you
Jamaica funk, that's what it is
Let it get into you

I feel it inside my soul
Let it get into you
'Cause there's enough to go all the way around
Let it get into you let it fill you up inside
This feelin's funk that's what it is
Let it get into you
Jamaica funk that's what it is
We be funkin for Jamaica

If ya feel it
And I let it get into me
Jamaica funk that's what it was
Let it get into you
That feelin's funk that's what it was

And I let it get into me I let it get into me
Whoa whoa whoa this feelin's funk that's what it is

Overall Meaning

The song "Funkin' for Jamaica" by Tom Browne, released in 1980, is a classic funk song that delivers a message about the importance of letting go and getting lost in the music. The song opens with the chorus, "Jamaica funk, that's what it is. Let it get into you. C'mon I've got a groove. You know where I'll be. Funkin' for Jamaica. If you feel it, let it get into you."

The lyrics are essentially telling the listener to let the music take over and let the groove fill them up. Browne's trumpet playing, combined with the funky bass and drum beats, enhance the feeling of the rhythm and make it impossible not to move along with the music. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, reinforcing the message to let the music take over and have fun.

Overall, "Funkin' for Jamaica" is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates the carefree spirit of funk music. It encourages people to dance, let go of their inhibitions, and have a good time.

Line by Line Meaning

Jamaica funk, that's what it is
The music style we're playing is called Jamaica funk