Juice is loose, and they're on their way to Oxford

HAYS BURCHFIELD
DM Staff Writer

The group New Orleans Juice will be at Bodega promoting its new CD, Fortified, on September 7 and September 28. If funk music is your thing, the show is worth going to, but I wouldn't recommend buying the CD.

I listened to it all the way through, and I do not recommend doing that. The total running time is 54 minutes and 54 second, with the first song being the longest at nine minutes and 19 seconds. I liked the beginning, but it got old fast. Six of its 10 songs are just about entirely instrumental.

The third song, "Chicken Shack," is the worst song on the CD. The songs with lyrics are okay, but they too get old fast. I guess you just have to like that kind of music. Most of it is instrumental with saxophone, guitar, and percussion. The music has a lot of bass. Though I think it would be great to listen to at a place like Bodega, I do not recommend this CD unless you really like funk.

There are many critics who love this band. OffBeat Magazine said, "Go see Juice and witness New Orleans style funk with a serious edge...serious potential for greatness."

"Fortified satisfies your daily funk requirements" is what Gambit Magazine had to say.

Juice is a young band that is steadily making a name for themselves as one of the premier live acts in New Orleans' thriving young funk scene. They have done some extensive traveling, performing over 200 dates at clubs and festivals throughout North America, including the 2000 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - widely considered the premier festival in the United States.

Through nearly constant touring and good, old fashioned word of mouth, Juice has built a solid national fan base and received strong critical acclaim for their psychedelic mix of funk, blues, second line, jazz, and classic rhythm and blues. Even though I do not think this is a great CD, there are many people who do.

I think you should choose for yourself by going to Juice's website at www.neworleansjuice.com. They have pictures and a history of the band, and they have music from Fortified that you can download. Going through their website is a great way to find out what this band is all about.