Getting’ good and greasy with Papa Grows Funk
by Andy Stonehouse • Summit Daily • Vail, CO • January 11, 2002
Breckenridge -- Is there, perhaps, a special,
magical interstate highway that connects Colorado’s High Country
directly with musically fertile southeastern Louisiana –one that
magically bypasses Texas and Oklahoma and gets you from ski land to the
Big Easy in no time at all?
Rand McNally can’t help us. But when acts like Papa Grows Funk, currently
the biggest thing in the Crescent City music scene, casually make appearances
in Breckenridge, maybe you gotta wonder. The group’s a virtual who’s
who of New Orleans music, new and old, with players culled from the Funky Meters,
Galactic, Wild Magnolia’s and George Porter Jr’s band. And in just
less than two years, Papa Grows Funk has exploded from hometown gigs at the Maple
Leaf Bar, Tipitina’s, and the House of Blues to selling out shows in New
York and San Francisco.
Bandleader John Gros, who plays the group’s Hammond B-3 organ position,
said he’s enjoyed an outrageous ride since then authentically funky Papa
Grows Funk began in April 2000.
“It’s been a complete shock and surprise to all of us involved,” Gros
said. “Things were just immediate. We had people coming out to the show
at the Maple Leaf every Monday for a year, and after the summer, it didn’t
die down. We’ve been fortunate to have it all come to us with little effort.
It’s definitely been a word-of-mouth thing.”
Gros said the fledgling group’s biggest boost came during an appearance
following the Meters reunion show at San Francisco’s Paradise Lounge in
November of 2000.
“That was an amazing experience. We played to a packed house and Art and
Aaron Neville sat in with us…it’s one of those memorable nights that
sticks in your head forever.”
Hardly a year later and the band’s a hot seller in Japan and one of the
most in-demand products of the New Orleans scene. Last day of this year’s
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Gros, who came to Papa Grows Funk after five years working with Porter, joins
Batiste Jr., and Japanese guitarist June Yamagushi –who made the long,
long trek from his home country to join Wild Magnolias, a noted Mardi-Gras style
musical krewe – plus ex-Galactic player Jason Mingledorf on sax and Smilin
Myron’s Marc Pero on bass.