Theryl de’Clouet: Ain’t no Funk Like N. O. Funk

“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to New Orleans.” Galactic vocalist Theryl deClouet’s scratchy introduction to Ain’t No Funk Like N.O. Funk (Bullseye Blues & Jazz, 11661-9608-2, 60:33) gets right to the point, a fitting opener to more than an hour’s worth of southern-fried grooves. The collection points out the diversity of the Crescent City sound-these are the children of the Meters, Chocolate Milk and the Wild Magnolias. So while you get some second line funk-check out the New Orleans Nightcrawlers’ smoking “Reply”-you’ll get a fair sampling of some of the other sounds bouncing around the city. There’s the JB sound-represented here by Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s “Junkyard,” and the early Parliament-influenced stroll of Smilin’ Myron’s “Johnny.” The funk-edged side of the soul-blues spectrum gets its licks in, via Galactic’s “Something’s Wrong With This Picture” and organist Davell Crawford’s gospelly groover, “House That Jack Built.” Ain’t nothin like it, like the title says. Can I get an Amen?

Originally Published March 1, 1999