RECOMMENDED
Jazz and funk have counted more than a few industrious percussionists: Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie, Elvin Jones and Ziggy Modeliste to name just a few. Stanton Moore might not come to bear so heavily in a stylistic manner, but the NOLA native has done his fair share in expounding the virtues of his hometown and its percussive history. While not engaged as Galactic’s drummer, Moore has spent the last few decades giving workshops, recording instructional DVDs and, perhaps most importantly, trying to take NOLA and its musicians back to a pre-Katrina standing. Of course, hailing from a town that still provides support for players to actually make a living performing live sets, Moore has done time behind the set for any number of groups, some with names too ridiculous to grasp and some too simple to believe. About the same time he began working with Galactic, though, the drummer enlisted Bay Area guitarist Charlie Hunter and Skerik, a Seattle-based sax player given to electronic manipulations of his instrument. 1998’s “All Kooked Out!” found the trio digging up the funkier side of the Blue Note catalog as Skerik broke out a few sporadic, noisome passages. While that would be the last time Hunter contributed so heavily to a release from Moore’s catalog, it solidified Skerik as a longtime collaborator. Even after Moore began performing with guitarist Will Bernard and organist Robert Walter, the former accompanying Moore with Wil Blades on keys this Saturday, the Northwesterner would show up every so often and blow a few notes here and there. Evolving out of the chicka-chicka soundtrack funk that sometimes moves in to Moore’s work, 2006’s “III” and 2010’s “Groove Alchemy” get a bit more stately while still retaining the gritty improvisational heritage of the city this music all sprang from. For fans of groove and students of jazz alike. (Dave Cantor)
September 10 at Evanston Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston, (847)492-8860, 8pm. $20-$35.
