Funk/jazz outfit Galactic [ tickets ] is furthering its crossover into the hip-hop world with more dates to support its latest album, "From the Corner to the Block."

The New Orleans band will celebrate New Year's Eve with a hometown show at Tipitina's and then jump on the MSC Lirica for the Jan. 4-9 Jam Cruise 6, which leaves from Fort Lauderdale, FL, and visits Roatan, Honduras, and Cozumel, Mexico.

Following several Florida gigs in January and a pair of Tipitina's shows in early February, Galactic will pull off a one-nighter in Moscow, Russia, and then return to the US for a tour of the Midwest. In March, the quintet will head Down Under for a couple of Australian festivals. US dates are listed below, and those overseas can be found at the band's website.

Galactic, which made the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz chart with its 2003 set, "Ruckus," now finds itself on the magazine's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with "From the Corner to the Block."

The new album, which surfaced in August, grew out of the band's experiences touring with artists like the Roots, Jurassic 5, Triple Threat DJ's, and Gift of Gab from Blackalicious. It features a host of rap/hip-hop vocalists including Juvenile, Gift of Gab, Lyrics Born, Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Mr. Lif, Chali 2na from Jurrasic 5, Vursatyl of Lifesavas, Boots Riley from The Coup, and Ohmega Watts.

In its bio, Galactic describes "From the Corner to the Block" as not "a typical hip-hop album per se, but a contemporary funk record that just happens to feature hip-hop vocals."

Several artists featured on the set--including Chali 2na, Mr. Lif, Boots Riley, and Ohmega Watts--will appear with Galactic on various tour dates. Details regarding which MCs appear at each show are available at the band's website.