Roll Up The Rugs & Crank It: Live From Styleen's Rhythm Palace Syracuse, NY

Featuring courageous instrumentation and jumping medleys, this is a spicy piece of funk and soul. The double-disc set was taken from a live performance at the club where Little Georgie and company are the Saturday night house band. Although it might have worked better as a studio recording -- the horns don't flash as bright, nor does the bottom end resound as deeply, as could have been possible with more controlled technology -- this is still an exciting project. The choice of material ranges from Sly & the Family Stone to Professor Longhair, but the standout cut is the James Brown-at-Halloween original "Ballad of Little Georgie." A party album for a boogie frenzy.