When it comes to funk, few other current bands do it half as well as Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. You can take Cleary to task for plenty of things -- being born in England (instead of funk-capital New Orleans), trying to play too many instruments (piano, organ, dobro, mandolin, bass and guitar), singing a little too smoothly (though never, ever slick) and even just for being second-generation funk. But once the grooves start rolling, it's only the funk meter that matters.
After leaving Britain and his own New Orleans R&B band there, Cleary arrived in the Big Easy and caught the ear of Walter Wolfman Washington, the premier blues and R&B player. Soon he was playing keyboard with renowned musicians such as Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Johnny Adams, Bobby Charles and, most recently, Bonnie Raitt (check out his songs, vocals and keyboard on "Silver Lining," her best work in years).
The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, however, are his own backing band. Born and bred in New Orleans, these sidemen know how to serve up just the right proportions of gospel, blues, R&B, soul and funk. They sing and play at different times like a gospel choir, an a cappella doo-wop quartet, country bluesmen, soul crooners or let-loose funkmeisters.