Papa Grows Funk

“One of THE best and most important funky bands in New Orleans. We couldn't be
prouder." Quint Davis, producer of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Booty shaking party music best sums up the inimitable Papa Grows Funk, one of the
most successful funk bands to emanate from New Orleans. Rooted in improvisation,
the group of all-star musicians led by Hammond B3 keyboardist and lead vocalist, John
Gros, has built its enthusiastic vibe on a long-standing musical tradition that dates back
to the hot jazz of the legends, Fats Domino and Louis Armstrong. Like Dr. John and the
Neville Brothers, Papa Grows Funk keeps that New Orleans lineage alive while always
funkifying towards the future.

Papa Grows Funk has fused the individual talents of its members into one unique sound,
but still retains the initial spark they ignited in the beginning while jamming together
at the Old Point Bar. “While we throw in New Orleans classics, now our songs and our
groove are all our own,” says John Gros. “We still love playing together and that comes
through in our music.”

The band plays over 100 shows a year for its international and growing fan base. From
the Highline Ballroom in New York City to the Great American Music Hall in San
Francisco, from the Nancy Jazz Festival in France to the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan,
Papa Grows Funk has brought their “Mardi Gras in a bottle” music to iconic clubs from
coast to coast and renowned festivals worldwide.

With no play lists and no rehearsals every Papa Grows Funk performance is its own
masterpiece of funk. On any given night, the band might change songs or grooves.
But one thing is certain: whether it is jam band college kids or seersucker wearing
professionals, five folks or 100,000, after John Gros announces “We’re Papa Grows Funk
from the great city of New Orleans,” the crowd is going to go wild.

Papa Grows Funk

John Gros - Hammond B3 organ and lead vocals
June Yamagishi- Guitar
Marc Pero - Bass
Jason Mingledorff - Sax
Jeffery “Jellybean” Alexander – Drums