Papa Mali & The Instagators
Thunder Chicken
Fog City Records

Review by Christopher Gray

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As steeped in Mardi Gras parade rhythms as Papa Mali & the Instagators have always been, it's hardly a surprise that the real lead instrument on Thunder Chicken is drummer "Frosty" Smith's whipcrack snare. With all due respect to "Papa Mali" Malcolm Welbourne, it's Frosty's ice-cold, precise boom-thwacking that does most of the instigating. It's the tent pole bolstering the group's funky canvases, from the juke-joint slide of "Keep Happy" to the laid-back reggae stroll of "I'm the One." It even lends a touch of hip-hop flavor to the back end of "Keep Happy," as Welbourne raps out an order of hot-links, po-boys, and fried chicken, giving the already call-and-response "If I Ever Get Right" a palpable, hanky-waving Rebirth feel. But the cuts cribbed from an assortment of Pelican State players benefit from Frosty's assured timekeeping the most; Clifton Chenier's "Bon Temps Roulez," Buddy Guy's "Man of Many Words," and the Wild Magnolias' "Fire Water" are all raised above the level of standard-issue bayou funk into free-form jam packages wrapped in tight, persistent grooves. Beyond that, it's the steady heartbeat at the center of "Walk on Guilded Splinters," as Welbourne recasts Dr. John's early hit as a leisurely 10-minute voodoo epic. See what happens when you give the drummer some?

Check out Papa Mali's website at http://www.fogworld.com/pmi for more info on the band and their tour schedule. You can also listen to their entire album online, in stereo and for free!

First published in The Austin Chronicle Copyright © 2000 The Austin Chronicle.

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