Galactic's January has been a little busy. Within the first three weeks of 2023, the New Orleans funk band has traveled to Cuba, released a new, collaboration-filled EP and is on its way to New York City for a five-night residency at the Blue Note jazz club.
But, despite having 10-shows lined up at the storied Greenwich Village venue, the residency is giving Galactic a chance to do something a little different on the road, says bassist Robert Mercurio: to just stay still and relax for a minute.
"We've never done this many nights in a row, and we rarely - if never - have played a setting like this, this sit-down, small club," says Mercurio, whose band is closing in on close to 30 years of consistent touring. "Instead of doing a big East Coast tour, we said, let's camp out in New York and kind of do a different approach. So when this offer came along, the guys were excited about it."
"I think coming out of the pandemic was hard for a lot of bands, we got a little more used to being home," he adds. "We did a national tour in 2022, but the idea of not being away as much is appealing to everybody [in the band]."
At the Blue Note, Galactic - Mercurio, saxophonist Ben Ellman, drummer Stanton Moore, guitarist Jeffrey Raines and keyboardist Richard Vogel - along with their go-to singer Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph and trumpeter Eric Gordon will get to dig a little deeper into their catalogue. Mercurio says they'll tap into material that may not work in front of the 1,000-person rock clubs Galactic is used to playing but could land in the 200-seat Blue Note. And each night will feature a guest performer: renowned saxophonist James Carter, pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, rapper and singer Matisyahu and trumpeter and fellow New Orleanian Nicholas Payton.
It isn't news that Galactic relishes collaboration, both live and when recording. The band's nearly 30 years of material is filled with guest artists, particularly vocalists like Macy Gray, Big Freedia, Mavis Staples, John Boutte, Maggie Koerner, Jelly Joseph and their longtime frontman the late Theryl DeClouet.
And their new EP "Tchompitoulas" is no exception. The funky, eclectic six-song recording was released on Jan. 20. Along with Joseph and Gordon, the EP features Afro-Cuban musician Cimafunk - who has recently been building a New Orleans fanbase - trombonist and singer Glen David Andrews and rapper Eric Biddines.
"Galactic's collaborative spirit, it always leads to really great friendships and connections," Mercurio says. "It just kind of gets us out of our bubble."
Earlier this month, Cimafunk hosted Galactic, Mannie Fresh, Trombone Shorty and student musicians from the Trombone Shorty Foundation for a five-day cultural exchange in Cuba. It was a similar trip to a fruitful exchange in 2019 with Tank and the Bangas, Trombone Shorty and The Soul Rebels.
In Cuba, Galactic met with musicians from the country, worked with school kids just beginning to learn an instrument and played a rooftop show in old Havana. "It was not probably a venue we'd normally play because it was small space on this rooftop, but man, it felt magical," Mercurio says.
In February, Galactic plays the Jam Cruise 19 and will be back in New Orleans for shows at Tipitina's on Feb. 18 and Feb. 20. Find more information and their new EP at galacticfunk.com.
