Galactic and Irma Thomas: Audience With the Queen
It’s one of those brilliant collaborations that only looks inevitable after the fact—Irma Thomas, the 84-year-old Soul Queen of New Orleans, and Galactic, the city’s reigning funk combo. Thomas—for those who may not be familiar—was logging R&B hits before some of the Galactic crew was even born, most notably “Wish Someone Would Care” and “Time Is on My Side,” the latter of which The Rolling Stones quickly parlayed into their first American Top 10 single—all in 1964. Galactic wouldn’t even form for another three decades, but their own reputation as NOLA ambassadors is unassailable, established via thousands of live gigs and a string of admirable recordings that find them constantly pushing beyond category. Co-produced by Galactic bassist Robert Mercurio and saxophonist Ben Ellman, the album—eight original tracks written by the band with lyrics courtesy of Thomas associate Sean Carey, and a cover of jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson’s 1964 hit “How Glad I Am”—brings out the best in both parties. For her part, Thomas has quite possibly never sounded more commanding, while Galactic, always eager to challenge preconceived notions of what they are capable of, operate as if they’ve been playing behind Thomas her entire career. (There actually was one brief liaison, back in 2010.) “Where I Belong,” which follows the sole cover, gives Thomas a chance to put her own story into perspective: “I’ve spent my lifetime out on the road/ You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen/ And I forgot more than you’ll know,” she sings, and there’s no doubt she means it. Among the others, the anthemic “Lady Liberty” turns an eye on the dicey world in which we all find ourselves (“Is this the world that we’re living in?/ The one we raise our children in /Lord save us all, Lady Liberty took a fall”) and “Over You” is a potent reminder that Thomas may also own the title Queen of the Blues.
