(June 9, 2026) The Black Experience Band brought hard core funk to soul vocal groups in North Carolina. Consisting of trumpeter Charles Bailey, trombonist James “Butch” Barton, saxophonist Eli Brown, lead guitarist Willis Norman, rhythm guitarist Roy Hubert, drummer Linwood Parker and bassist Willie Hall, the Black Experience Band backed several vocal groups in the Durham, North Carolina area – most notably the Communicators and the Modulations (who are not to be confused with the Florida based gospel group by the same name that featured Glenn Jones).
The band’s brand of 1970s era hard core funk can be heard in the work they did for the groups, and on their solo work. Willie Hill, the bass player, would make his mark after leaving the Black Experience Band in 1977, first by serving as bassist for the band Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts and then by opening a recording studio in his hometown of Durham, where he engineered for artists such as Shirley Caesar and Norman Conners.
Hill has also released five albums and has dropped a new single titled “Now.” The tune finds Hill collaborating with Indian bamboo flute player Akshat Mehrotra. The combination of Mehrotra airy and naturalistic flute playing, the percussion and Hills laid back bass playing gives “Now” a contemplative sound.
The meditative vibe serves as a way for listeners to clear the mind and prepare themselves to act and not procrastinate, which is the message that Hill hopes “Now” will send. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
