With individual resumes that include support work for Beyoncé, Kanye West, Jay Z, Chaka Khan, The Meters and Ivan Neville, The Nth Power offer a sound that incorporates jazz, R&B, funk, hip-hop and pop in ways
that reflect both their spiritual and soulful sensibilities. Recorded in concert at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, Live to Be Free lives up to its billing, offering up an instrumental outpour and gospellike fervor that successfully bends the aforementioned stylistic boundaries while giving way to combined creativity. The shimmering sounds of “Freedom,” “More & More” and “Home” offer an unabashedly upward gaze, while “Truth” and “Right Now” find the group getting into a groove better suited for the dance floor. The quintet has a decidedly old-school feel, but their skill and dexterity ensure that the songs provide more than a momentary distraction. Indeed, while some offerings suggest a more sensual stance, others—the compelling “Take My Soul” in particular—bring a more forceful dynamic to the fore. Exuberant and effusive, Live to Be Free clearly achieves its objective.