Joe Dart the modern funk groove on bass

Written on 23 May 2025 - 8 views

Some musicians make an impact from the very first listen. No need for blazing solos or overloaded production: one bassline, one snapping groove, and that’s the spark. For me, it happened with Joe Dart. I stumbled upon Dean Town almost by accident, and within seconds, I had dropped everything to grab my bass. That guy grooved like no one else. Since then, I’ve followed him closely, fascinated by his precision, his style, and the contagious energy he radiates without overdoing it. If you don’t know him yet, it’s time to change that.

Joe Dart: pure groove

In the contemporary music landscape, few instrumentalists can captivate with a simple bass riff. Joe Dart has made it his specialty. As the emblematic bassist of Vulfpeck, this American musician born in 1991 has become an essential figure of the modern funk scene. His unique, precise, and ultra-groovy style now inspires an entire generation of musicians.

The bass as a mother tongue

Originally from Harbor Springs, Michigan, Joe Dart first picked up a bass at age 8. Early on, he developed a sharp ear, drawn as much to Flea’s grooves (Red Hot Chili Peppers) as to Jaco Pastorius’ sophistication. He attended summer programs at Berklee College of Music, but it wasn’t in conservatories that Dart shaped his musical voice. It was through playing, listening, instinct.
He found his bandmates at the University of Michigan. With Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, and Woody Goss, he formed what would become Vulfpeck, a musical collective with funk, soul, and pop influences, embracing a return to fundamentals: groove, space, sincerity.

Vulfpeck: the stage as a lab

From its early EPs, Vulfpeck stood out with a minimalist approach, far from the overcompressed productions of the day. Every instrument has its place. And Joe Dart’s place is central.
In 2016, the instrumental track “Dean Town” went viral. A tribute to Jaco’s "Teen Town," but with the Vulfpeck flavor: fresh, funky, danceable. The track is a tour de force for Dart, who lays down a continuous bassline, precise like a Swiss watch, fluid like a freestyle. For many bassists, this track became a benchmark. A new version of the “Canon in D,” but for grooving fingers.

A style you recognize from the first note

Joe Dart is, above all, a sound. A dry, articulated tone, often with no apparent compression. He typically plays a passive Music Man, fingerstyle, with highly controlled attack and surgical groove. He uses few effects: everything comes from the right hand, rhythmic placement, and note choice.
He’s also one of the few contemporary bassists with an instantly recognizable signature sound, just like Bernard Edwards (Chic), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), or Marcus Miller. But Dart doesn’t aim to show off. He aims for the dance in the music. His implicit mantra: if it’s not danceable, it’s not done.

A signature bass (almost) without knobs

His radical groove approach won over Ernie Ball Music Man, who dedicated two signature bass models to him. The first, simply named “Joe Dart,” is as stripped down as his playing: one pickup, one volume knob. No tone. No frills. Plug in, play, groove.
The Joe Dart Jr., released more recently, goes even further: no knobs at all. A bass that, like its owner, loudly asserts that everything is in the fingers. A minimalist statement of faith, praised by the bass community.

The Fearless Flyers and the live stage

Alongside Vulfpeck, Joe Dart is part of The Fearless Flyers, an instrumental supergroup with Cory Wong on guitar and Nate Smith on drums. Here, no vocals, no gimmicks: just raw, pinpointed, utterly funky groove.
It’s on stage that Joe Dart fully expresses his art. He doesn’t need to jump or shout: his bass speaks for him. He plays seated, focused, but what he plays gets stadiums dancing. In 2019, Vulfpeck filled Madison Square Garden — without a record label, without traditional promo. A revolution in the industry, powered by groove.

A worldwide influence

Type “Joe Dart bass cover” on YouTube: thousands of musicians, of all ages, try to replicate his touch, his lines, his phrasing. He is studied in music schools, imitated on stage, sampled in productions. He rekindled many people’s desire to pick up the bass again.
But more than virtuosity, it’s Dart’s approach that wins people over: simplicity, efficiency, musicality. He reminds us that the bass is there to serve the music, not to shine alone. A rare philosophy in an age of technical narcissism.

Conclusion: the elegance of groove

Joe Dart is a style, an attitude, a discipline in service of joy. He didn’t invent funk, but he gave it a new breath. And he reminds us, with every note, that a well-placed groove can do more than a thousand solos: it can lift an entire room.
For lovers of bass, funk, or simply good music, Joe Dart is more than a bassist: he’s a discreet but essential master of modern groove.

See you soon, here or elsewhere !

Chrys