In Your Ear: Papa Grows Funk Shakin'
by Les Coles • Daily Yomiuri • March 27, 2003
With a lineup featuring Russell Batiste
Jr. (Funky Meters), Jason Mingledorff (Galactic), John Gros (George Porter
Jr.'s Runnin' Pardners), June Yamagishi (Wild Magnolias), Peter V. (Cyril
Neville) and Marc Pero, Papa Grows Funk has grown from a weekly Monday
night jam-session at New Orleans' Maple Leaf Bar into the funkiest, most
exciting band to energe from the Crescent City in years.
In just two years, PGF have evolved from their jam-band roots into a cohesive
entity that gives distinctive voice to a unique brand of jazz-inflected
funk.
PGF's critically acclaimed debut album, Doin' It, funkified the audience
when the band toured it at the 2001 Park Tower Blues festival. The follow-up,
Shakin', smokes — it's hotter than Crystal Sauce. It powers along
driven by Batiste's infectious second-line drumming patterns and Gros'
B-3 work. The latter having a fine voice as demonstrated on “House
of Love” and “Rat a Tang Tang” (reminiscent in places
of Dr. John's Creole Moon).
The CD contains a lagniappe in the form of Yamagishi's favorite recipe
for yakiniku, which you can serve as an accompaniment to the third track, “Yakiniku
(Grilled Beef),” so you can get into the New Orleans' tradition
of good music and good food.
Philly smilly — PGF once again demonstrates that NOLA's the home
and custodian of funk.