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Papa Grows Funk
Official
Website
Myspace
Youtube
Building momentum is exactly what
Papa Grows Funk has done since
tearing it up at the original Meters
after party November 11, 2000 in San
Francisco. Seven years later they
have sold 25, 000 copies of their
four CDs while year round,
coast-to-coast, international
tours-including Europe and
Japan-have locked in a devoted fan
base.
Papa Grows Funk's tight grooves
re-define the funk-jam band.
Tethered by the slinky Hammond B3
and gravel pit vocals of bandleader
John "Papa" Gros," the band is a
"who's-who" of New Orleans' best
musicians. Morphing guitarist June
Yamagishi is an original member of
Japan's first blues combo, The West
Road Blues Band and has inspired two
documentaries entitled "June
Yamagishi in New Orleans" from his
native Japan. Saxophonist Jason "Big
Wind" Mingledorff cleanly
articulates the knee-dropping funk
sustained by bassist Marc Pero and
Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander who
replaced Russell Batiste Jr. on the
drums in 2005.
Influenced by The Meters, Dr. John
and The Neville Brothers, Papa Grows
Funk parcels it out New
Orleans-style, paying homage to the
tradition through Gros' sparse but
rhythmic style offset by Yamagishi's
blazing guitar. One is treated to a
booty shaking set of Mardi Gras
funk, original material, improvised
jams and fresh interpretations of
New Orleans classics. These five
musicians seamlessly shift gears
while never losing the essential
groove.
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