BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech: Larry Graham and Graham Central Station

That dapper fellow to the left is none other than the legendary Larry Graham, former bassist for Sly & the Family Stone and leader of funk juggernaut Graham Central Station, kicking off the 2012 BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech today at noon. For the uninitiated, Graham is the inventor of the slap-bass technique, which—don't let that sky blue handkerchief fool you—gave so much of 70s progressive funk its unmistakably punchy, propulsive feel. Sample some slap bass goodness below and let it be motivation to come out and hear Graham live at noon today in Downtown Brooklyn.