Moore unabashedly shows on a regular basis that he is the fuel behind Galactic’s fire and innovation. He reveals his unique talent to perpetuate a driving beat through endless changes and complex progression on such tracks as Stanton Hits the Bottle and Chupacadabra. His personal innovations are evident on Mystery Tube, in which he uses a plastic tube, connected to the vent in his low tom, to orally change its pitch by sucking and blowing. Moore’s live solos border upon the unreal, and, more often than not, he garners more crowd interest than do the other group members combined at Galactic’s concerts.One of the most addicting elements in the music of Galactic is its use of the Hammond B3 organ. The B3’s sound, which ranges from a bare murmur to a primal wail, has been made famous by jazz artists such as Jimmy Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Lou Donaldson, and also rock bands like Santana and Jimi Hendrix. There once was a time when the presence of the B3 was a bare necessity for any self-respecting band—you simply weren’t a real band without one. In recent years, however, the sound of the Hammond organ has been somewhat absent. But occasionally a well-trained keyboardist can be seen holding court at the console, clenching a two-handed chord and bringing the Hammond to a full-throated roar. Keyboardist Rich Vogel shows flex on such songs as Quiet Please, on which he breaks down the jazz with some slow, funky grooves and runs, and on Go-Go, which is trademarked by the lighthearted melody he keys. Vogel’s pokerfaced manner belies his musical wit and talent—at times he calmly plays a slow, simple riff, then suddenly and seamlessly rips into a series of wild jazz scales at just the Doe 4right moment, leaving listeners breathless. His presence, in my opinion, is every bit as important to Galactic as is Moore’s.Vocals are a less important element of the group’s mu...
