The drums weren’t the only instrument to play with rhythmic expectation, because in funk, every instrument was used as a drum, especially the bass guitar, which also began to take on the melodic work. Funk made the bass line prime.
— Dan Charnas
Rocco Prestia and Doc Kupka of Tower of Power are great examples. Prestia’s bass lines are percussive and precise but counter-melodic. Kupka consistently plays baritone sax off the beat, in some ways more part of the rhythm section than Prestia. Tower of Power’s looks didn’t hold up, but their funk credentials remain robust.
(Sixteen-year-old Adam would very much approve of this post.)