If you've ever heard Russell Batiste play the drums, you didn't soon forget it. As the backbone for the funky Meters and for George Porter Jr. and the Runnin' Pardners, as well as the scintillating Papa Grows Funk, Batiste is a monster on the trap set. He is powerful and lyrical at the same time, and his mastery of the kick drum has all the other funk drummers taking notice. But while Batiste has been content for a number of years to work behind the kit, he has recently put together his own band. The Russell Batiste Group plays all of his original compositions and they run the gamut from pure out-and-out funk, like he plays with his other bands, to whimsical pop-rock pieces. Of course, with talent like Batiste's, he has surrounded himself with other top-level performers. His brother Damon plays percussion, and the horn section includes the cream of the local crop.~ Jay Mazza.