Out of St Louis' avantgarde community came trombonist Joseph Bowie (1953), Lester's younger brother, but he had a completely different agenda.

After moving in 1973 to New York with Bobo Shaw's Human Arts Ensemble, Joseph Bowie got involved with various rhythm'n'blues projects and with "no wave" saxophonist James Chance.

In Paris, Aries 1973 documents the Black Artists Group, founded in 1968 by Bobo Shaw (drums, gong, xylophoine) with Oliver Lake ( saxes, flute, marimbas, drums), Joseph Bowie (trombone and congas), Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn and drums) and Floyd LeFlore (trumpet).

Despite playing with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Frank Lowe, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill, Charlie Haden and David Murray, Bowie continued to mine the danceable side of the equation and in 1978 formed his own funk-jazz-rock band, Defunkt, whose dancefloor hits were Make Them Dance, off Defunkt (1980), the single Razor's Edge (1981), and Avoid the Funk, off Thermonuclear Sweat (may 1982).

Bowie recorded several trio sessions with reed player Ed Wilkerson and percussionist Kahil El'Zabar: Ancestral Song (may 1987), Hang Tuff (november 1990), Dance With The Ancestors (1993), 21St Century Union March (june 1995). After replacing Wilkerson with saxophonist Ernest "Khabeer" Dawkins, the trio (occasionally a quartet) released The Continuum (march 1997), Ka-Real (september 1997), Papa's Bounce (february 1998), Freedom Jazz Dance (march 1999).

Rhythm Voice (january 1998) was yet another ethnic experiment but with saxophonist John Voirol, bass, drums and African percussion.