Portland Jazz Festival: Galactic, Latyrx

[ECLECTIC GET-DOWN] Where to even start with this show? Probably with the opener. In 1997, Latyrx—that's Bay Area rappers Lyrics Born and Lateef the Truth Speaker—released The Album, a wonderfully odd, deeply funky hip-hop record that didn't sound like a collaboration so much as two eccentric MCs unknowingly working with the same slate of producers (in their case, DJ Shadow and Blackalicious’ Chief Xcel). Even so, the duo had a palpable chemistry: Even when literally rapping over each other, it sounded like they were creating a brand new language. Then they went their separate ways. Now that the pair has reconvened 16 years later, the tracks from the promised second Latyrx album sound a bit more conventional (and more politically conscious), but as indicated by the rappers' last appearance in Portland, opening for Pharcyde in November, they can still start a party—which is good, considering eclectic New Orleans funkateers Galactic is a party band par excellence. Why is Living Colour frontman Corey Glover performing with them? Just to make the show more batshit-awesome, I'm guessing.