SINCE IT’S inception in 2010 the Mostly Jazz Festival’s eclectic line up has continued to attract lovers of hip-hop, funk, electro and all things jazz. Standard reporter Anu Shukla popped into Moseley Park where vibrant crowds had made it through a day of volatile weather for the ultimate crescendo with Parliament Funkadelic.
Stronger than ever, the name of the notorious doowop group formed in the 50s was on everyone’s mind as one festival goer said: “We listened to a dad-rock band in the rain earlier, but Parliament is what we’ve all been waiting for.”
As we walked into the festival, there was an electric vibe emanating from the vortex-like dance floor that pulled you into its space.
And despite the weather, there was nothing to dampen the spirits of this funky crowd.
Booker T Jones and his entourage were spreading the vibes from new album, Sound the Alarm. From teens to grooving grandparents the Best Instrumental Grammy Award winner had everyone throwing shapes across the floor.
Booker played his classics on the organ with his son Ted on lead guitar.
The performance was a little different to his usual material though a homage to Jimi Hendrix with ‘Hey Joe’ and Prince with ‘Purple Rain’ went down a right storm.
Festival goer Remee was there with girlfriend Anita: “The number of times you’ve danced to records like Green Onions… It was just unreal to hear them live. As the backing band for so many soul legends of Stax Records such as Otis Redding and Jean Knight, seeing Booker T was the next best thing to seeing all those same legends live.”
Booker was the perfect lead up to the highly-anticipated show-stopping performance from George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic.
Old school title tracks like One Nation Under a Groove saw a sea of arms waving rhythmically in the air while some of their newer stuff incorporated headbanging metal guitar riffs as contortionist dancer Sir Nose from the original Mothership mythology flexed his muscles on the stage and a trio of sparkly backing singers gave it their all.
A marathon session of expert live mixing left little time for words from George – but it was the music that said it all, sending Moseley all loved-up and spinning into a long night of fun and frolics.
