Given the abundance of talent that New Orleans has to offer in the fields of both rap and instrumental music, it’s more than a little surprising that the two genres cross paths so rarely. Jealous Monk, the brainchild of New Jersey transplant Jermaine Quiz and West Bank rapper MC Intelligence, is a rare exception. Through steady gigging over the past three years Jealous Monk has managed to become the Crescent City’s foremost live-instrument hip-hop act. Now, with their debut album From Sun Up to Sun Down, the group proves itself capable of putting the energy of their live performance into album form.

From the opening drum beat, it’s obvious that this is a band that can bring the funk, and they don’t disappoint in that regard from start to finish. The musicians execute a wide array of grooves with great dexterity, from the driving “Black Magic” to the deep funk of the album’s title track to the second-line feel of “Sense In That.” Special guest Kirk Joseph adds an extra dose of funk with his fat sousaphone line on “Come One Come All.” All the instrumentalists shine on Sun Up and are given ample opportunity to show off their skills, most notably on the jazzy instrumental “She Groove Interlude,” which spotlights guitarist Pete Murano.

The real highlights come towards the end of the album. The aforementioned “Sense in That” hits hard with an infectious refrain and some of the album’s most impressive MC work by Intelligence and Quiz. Likewise, the closing track, “High and Down,” is instantly likeable. With its chorus of “We gettin’ high and gettin’ down” put over top of a pounding funk beat, the song proves to be a great party anthem. While Jealous Monk adds a unique element to the New Orleans music scene with its blending of rock, rap and funk, its music adds little to the hip-hop genre as a whole. The aesthetic they create on From Sun Up to Moon Down owes much to the alternative hip-hop movement of the late 1990s. Likewise, on a lyrical level MCs Quiz and Intelligence do enough to keep the vibe going, but rarely do they amaze with their lyrical content or the inventiveness of their flow, barring a few exceptions. But the bottom line is that Jealous Monk is a party band, and with From Sun Up to Moon Down, as with their live shows, they prove capable of getting the party started.