CD Review: Papa Grows Funk - Doin' It
by John Swenson • Stereophile • February 2002
With the current ill health of Meters mastermind Art Neville casting long shadows of doubt over the future of the pioneers of New Orleans funk, the ears of the Big Easy are turning into the next generation of the groove. Galactic has already carved out a huge swath of this territory, but the current buzz band of the genre is Papa Grows Funk, a unit that closely resembles the spirit of the Meters in style and content. John Gros, the principal writer and vocalist and a wizard of the Hammond B-3, and drummer Russell Baptiste Jr., both born and bred in the New Orleans family musical tradition, are the jalapeno jelly that holds this funky sandwich together. Guitarist June Yamagishi has built a reputation as one of the hottest guitarists one the New Orleans scene since moving there from his native Japan. Marc Pero and Peter V split bass duties admirably, and saxophonist Jason Mingledorf completes the regular lineup. These cats are at the center of the jam-band vortex that is swirling through the city that care forgot. Their Monday night gigs at the Maple Leaf are already the stuff of legend, and Doin’ It gets it all down masterfully.