|
Galactic and Irma Thomas
Audience With The Queen
Tchoup-zilla Records |
Two of the finest
things about New Orleans music, to these ears, are Galactic
and Irma Thomas. Galactic (Ben Ellman – saxes/harmonica,
Robert Mercurio – bass, Stanton Moore – drums, Jeff Raines –
guitar, Rich Vogel – keys) has been a force of nature in the
Crescent City for over 30 years with their energetic combination
of blues, jazz, funk, R&B, hip-hop, and soul. Irma Thomas is,
well, the Soul Queen of New Orleans. Her music career dates back
to the late '50s with one of the city's most outstanding musical
catalogs (18 albums) and a Grammy Award in 2007.
Thomas was a guest
on Galactic's 2010 release, Ya-Ka-May, for the memorable
single “Heart of Steel,” but the group planned to release a new
Thomas album on their record label, Tchoup-Zilla, back in 2022.
They originally looked for a band to back her, but decided to do
it themselves, so the process took a couple of years to
complete.
One listen to
Audience With The Queen proves that it was time well-spent.
Eight of the nine songs are originals penned by the band, and
their distinctive approach provides a heady musical gumbo when
mixed with Ms. Thomas' timeless vocals.
The opener is the
album's lone cover, a breathtaking cover of Nancy Wilson's “How
Glad I Am,” with Thomas' stunning vocal backed by a gospel
choir. The joyful “Where I Belong” finds Galactic locked into a
funky groove behind Thomas as she declares she's still in love
with making music.
The hopeful “Love's
Gonna Find A Way Again” takes on a bluesy feel, thanks to
Ellman's harmonica, while the spirited “Lady Liberty” calls for
making the world a better place by making changes in our own
lives.
“Puppet On Your
String” is about as old school as the album gets, sounding like
an update of a classic soul song that Thomas might have recorded
back in the '60s for Minit or Ronn Records. “Peace In My Heart”
turns the funk up a notch as Thomas encourages us that true
peace comes from within.
“People” has a
Motown vibe with an autobiographical construct as Thomas takes a
look at where she's been and what she's been through over her
life. “Over You” addresses lost love, a mix of blues from
Ellman's harp, soul from the background vocalists, and funk.
The closer, “Be Your
Lady,” is the nastiest funk on the album, wrapping up the album
up on a memorable note.
While listening to
this album, it's astonishing to note that Irma Thomas is now 84
years old and sounds pretty much like she has for the last
60-plus years. There's no question, based on her performance,
that recording with an outstanding ensemble like Galactic put a
definite hop in her step.
There's also no
question that Audience With The Queen will definitely put
a hop in the step of anyone who listens to it.
--- Graham Clarke
