Live Vol. 3

Garaj Mahal's Live Vol. 3 CD (recorded May 11, 2002 at the Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO) is energetic and tasty. "Thursday" is a slice of Rhodes-fried groove that sounds like Steely Dan with Prince on vocals. "Stoked On Razaki" is a frantic exercise in speed-jazz that features Jamie Janover on his custom-made "Mini-Kit", adding more depth to the undulating rhythm. The whole thing ends with an instrumental cover of Madonna's "Material Girl" that spans 17 minutes. Without a doubt, this version explores every possible reach of this precious melody of the 1980's. Using the vocal lines as a road map, guitarist Fareed Haque urges the band into several sections of differing dynamics that range from thick and funky to tear jerking. You won't know whether to laugh or cry by the time Eric Levy inserts a delicate keyboard solo into the sonic space that the band has wrestled out of this odd cover song.