Jazzfest/CD Preview: Papa Grows Funk
by Josh Carver • Jambase.com • April 26, 2001
Chank. Chop. Thump. Slyncopate. These are
the titles to the four interludes on Papa Grows Funk's debut album, each
interlude featuring the guitar, organ, bass, and drums respectively.
These four short tracks represent the four components of the band. The
chank of the funky guitar chords, the choppy blasts of the Hammond B3,
and the thump of the bass, all supported by the "slyncopated" drum
beats, weaving in and out, and dancing around and over, the other instruments.
However, those instruments don't stand alone. Papa Grows Funk is more
than just these four separate musicians. Thrown together into the mix,
the sounds all work together to create tight, New Orleans-style funk.
Few people visiting JazzFest last year had probably heard of Papa Grows
Funk. This is because last year at this time, the band was less than a
month old. John Gros, keyboardist for George Porter and the Runnin' Pardners
and Mulebone decided to throw a band together for a regular Monday night
gig and jam at the Old Point Bar in Algiers. What he developed is a supergroup
of New Orleans funk musicians. In addition to John, PGF includes Russell
Batiste, Jr. (funky Meters) on the drums, June Yamagishi (Wild Magnolias)
on the guitar, Marc Pero and Peter V. alternating on bass, and Jason Mingledorff
(New Orleans Nightcrawlers) on the saxophone. All veteran musicians, over
the last year they have become one of the fastest growing bands in New
Orleans, not only packing the Old Point Bar on Mondays, but also playing
at a variety of other venues in town, and traveling out of town to play
shows such as the late night post-Meters reunion concert (during which
Art Neville sat in with the band) in San Francisco last fall, and a sold-out
show up in New York City. The band also recorded and just released their
debut album "Doin' It," which features all original songs and
is getting heavy airplay on the local community jazz and heritage radio
station, WWOZ.
Papa Grows Funk plays modern, New Orleans, Meters-esque funk. However,
they don't just have a derivative sound. PGF takes this music style, updates
it, and makes it fresh. One listen to their album makes it clear that this
is not just a Meters cover band. Many of the songs on "Doin' It" do
have a familiar sound. They are the types of songs that-after listening
to the album a few times-you would swear you've been hearing all your life.
This is not because the album sounds exactly like music you've heard before,
instead it's because these original, funky instrumentals are immediately
catchy-the repetitive grooves from these songs will stay in your head long
after the disc ends. The band started out as a live band, but this band's
on-stage magic is not lost in the studio. Songs such as "Pass It!" with
it's chunky, crunching, opening guitar chords, "In The Weeds," and
it's slow, laid back groove, and "Dimples," featuring a 70's
sounding, sax lead, R&B funk have the sound of instant funk classics.
These tunes, and many other tunes from Papa Grows Funk's debut album where
on display last night at the Old Point Bar. This is where everything started
just over a year ago, and it's where the band returns every Monday for
a show which begins with the tight playing of the core group, and often
evolves into a loose jam session featuring many of New Orleans best musicians.
The show began with an extended cover of Herbie Hancock's Chameleon, giving
the band members (and the crowd) a chance to warm up.
Next the band launched into a few of the tunes off their new album. It
was during these original songs that the strength of the band as a whole
became apparent. While many styles of music rely on the individual abilities
of each band member - funk music depends on the collective interplay between
band members. All the instruments fit together to create one collective
sound - while still leaving enough space in the music to hear each instrument
playing off the other sounds on the stage.
There's something about Monday nights in New Orleans. Forget Friday night,
forget Saturday night - to really see the best New Orleans musicians just
having playing music and having fun, you need to go out on a Monday night.
The scenes at the Old Point Bar and at Donna's Bar and Grill (on Rampart
Street, right on the edge of The Quarter) are remarkably similar. While
the music at Donna's is an updated, "traditional" jazz and the
music at the Old Point is good old New Orleans funk, musicians flock to
both these bars to spend their off-nights hanging out, watching, and playing
the music that they love. Being a musician in New Orleans is more than
just a job-why else would so many musicians head out to clubs on their
nights off to play and watch MORE music. New Orleans musicians have a passion
for what they do. At different times during Monday night's two-and-a-half
hour set (with no set break), Papa Grows Funk was joined by no less than
10 guest musicians. Early in the show, after the band played four or five
songs, John Gros stepped away from the Hammond and Ivan Neville jumped
up on the stage to join the band for a few songs. After John returned,
he noticed Stanton Moore sitting at the bar enjoying the music. It wasn't
long before Stanton gave Russell Batiste a break and took over the kit
for a few songs. This was just the beginning. Slide guitar player Brint
Anderson took the stage to add additional color to the music for a few
songs (and to sing the lyrics he wrote for a Russell Batiste song, "Fire
Water"). Later, the band was joined by an additional saxophone player
forming an impromptu horn section for a few songs.
Later in the evening, another drummer, Herlin Riley, was spotted sitting
at the bar. Herlin is the drummer in Wynton Marsalis' band, and has influenced
scores of young New Orleans drummers. Introducing him as "my teacher," Russell
invited Herlin up on stage to play for a few songs. The crowd was treated
to hearing three of the city's best drummers over the course of the evening.
With each drummer bringing his own particular style to the stage, you could
notice the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in the band's sound
behind each drummer.
The show reached a climax during the final song of the evening, the Russell
Batiste composition "Ridin' Thru the Mountains." During the extended
bridge of the song, Herlin Riley returned to the stage, along with three
other drummers. Initially, with drum sticks in hand, they all played at
one time on the drum kit, then each drummer took turns behind the set,
laying down inventive and funky beats on top of the band's repetitive groove.
Papa Grows Funk will be playing four shows during JazzFest. A late night
show this Friday at the Maple Leaf, a late night show the second weekend
at the Contemporary Arts Center, plus their regular Monday night gig at
the Old Point. These shows are a must-see for anyone interested in checking
out the local music scene and hearing modern New Orleans funk. And, when
Papa Grows Funk is playing, you never know who might be joining them on
stage.
Papa Grows Funk's new CD "Doin' It" is now available at the Louisiana
Music Factory. This is THE place to buy local music in New Orleans. They
are located on Decatur street in the French Quarter (right across from
the House of Blues). If you hear some music in New Orleans during JazzFest
and you decide you need to buy the CD, be sure to head to this store. The
Louisiana Music Factory will also be featuring many live, free, in-store
performances during the festival another great way to check out some local
New Orleans music.