Crazyhorse Mongoose
Having cut their teeth on the funk battlegrounds in their adopted hometown of New Orleans, these boys have honed their funk-soul-jazz blend to a fine edge. Their Capricorn debut shows the band maturing and expanding as they move from playful stomps ("Hamps Hump") to smooth boogaloo (the title track) to smoldering soul-jazz ("Witch Doctor") to spacy wah-wah-driven forays ("Tighten Your Wig") to '70s-style R&B; ("Start from Scratch") to filthy, back-alley slow jams ("Quiet Please"). Drummer Stanton Moore (actually a New Orleans native) superbly anchors this mix, steering the band from behind the skins. Theryl de Clouet's vocals don't add much other than a change of pace. While the sextet's instrumental technique won't amaze, it's certainly strong enough to keep the airtight grooves endlessly flowing.--Marc Greilsamer