The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans
by: Galactic
(Anti-Records)
Recorded during a sold out show at Tipitina's in October 2010, The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans captures Galactic at their zenith. The New Orleans group formed in 1994, and made a lot of friends and fans along the way--especially in New Orleans.
Galactic includes Stanton Moore (drums), Richard Vogel (keyboard), Jeff Raines (guitar), Robert Mercurio (bass) and Ben Ellman (sax & harp). Special guests on this evening features Cyril Neville, Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia and Corey Henry from the Soul Rebel Brass Band.
The disc opens with Cyril Neville singing The Meters' song "Gossip", and the blazing guitar work of Jeff Raines indicates a party is on the way. "Balkan Wedding"--a hypnotic instrumental--offers a brass-laced R & B funk number that I'm sure inspired those in attendance to dance.
Cyril Neville sings lead vocal again on "You Don't Know". This song contains a wall of brass sound that accentuates the steady beat. This music serves as sweaty funk at its finest. Galactic weaves a hip-hop, jazz-blues blend into one low country boil. This song travels into Sly Stone, Miles Davis and Dirty Dozen Brass Band musical territory.
Trombone Shorty blows the roof off the joint on "Cineramascope"--an amazing jazz track. Neville's vocals ring true on "Heart of Steel"--a true rock & roll gem, and this emerges as one of this collection's strongest. "Garbage Truck", another stellar instrumental, summons old sonic tapestries of Funkadelic.
"Boe Money" welcomes the Soul Rebel Brass Band onstage, and it's a brass confluence that allows this composition to flow towards the stratosphere. "Wild Man" brings the audience back down to street-level funk with a trace of dub gris-gris. "From The Corner To The Block" allows Corey Henry (Soul Rebel Brass Band) and the band to engage the audience in a sing-along.
"Funky Bird" continues the soulful street party vibe. "Boban" resembles The Meters operating at their apex. The final track, "Double It" allows Big Freedia to include his rap-lyrics on these soldiers and civilians in the funk army. The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans gets the blood pumping, and it makes you sweat. Highly recommended...
James Calemine
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