By John D'Aquila
tipitinas.com

It is a Thursday afternoon and I am waiting for Papa Grows Funk bandleader John Gros to meet me at a Carrollton Ave. coffee shop. It is a bright sunny day, and he is running late. When setting up the interview I requested that we meet at a place that might be considered his "environment." I was hoping for a rehearsal space, but was informed by the ebullient Gros, "We never rehearse." We both laugh at that.

He chose a coffee shop. For all that have encountered the burly organ player, they are acutely aware of the ever-present "to go" coffee mug in his hand. Having only met him once, and ever so briefly, and not knowing what kind of vehicle he drove, I begin looking for a big guy carrying a burnished aluminum coffee mug.

I should have figured he drove a van. Almost nothing else would move a big Hammond B3 organ from gig to gig. He turns the corner, toots the horn, and waves. He is talking on a mobile phone. Ah, the life of the bandleader of, arguably, the hottest band in town is a busy one.

He comes barreling up to me sticks out a big paw and shakes my hand, apologizing for being late, a very affable man. I tell him I am use to musicians being late and, in fact, when they show up at all I consider it a bonus.

I soon find John Gros is anything but a typical musician.

Gros is one of the busiest musicians in town. He plays with George Porter, Jr., and His Runnin' Pardners, was co-founder and a former member of Mark Mullins' MuleBone, plays a solo gig at the Tropical Isle on Bourbon St. three times weekly, a gig Monday nights with PGF at the Old Point Bar, is the newest member of the esteemed Monkey Ranch, and a member of $1000 Car. In addition to that, he is a husband and a proud father of two.

His newest baby, PGF (born in April of 2000), has created quite a stir around town and a recently released CD, Doin' It, is receiving excellent reviews. If you don't already know, PGF is comprised of an all-star cast, with Gros on the behemoth Hammond, the incomparable Russell Batiste on drums, showman nonpariel June Yamagishi on guitar, former Galactic member Jason Mingledorff on saxophone, and alternating bassists Marc Pero and Peter V.

Batiste is nearly as busy as Gros, laying down the beat for the Funky Meters, Porter's group, his own band, the Batiste Brothers, plus various other gigs. Yamagishi is a huge blues star in his own right in Japan, and you may have seen him with the Wild Magnolias.

Hence, the flourishing scene PGF has created locally is as much a product of the band's music as the members' diverse backgrounds, says Gros.

"We all have a New Orleans history, so we have people that have followed us within that scene," he says. "You put all these guys together and the people who have followed them around the last 10 years and that is what the Papa Grows Funk scene is made of.

"It is like a gumbo. You just throw it all in and whoever comes along with it comes along with it. So far so good."

Like a good gumbo, a band is only as good as the sum of its parts, and this band is strong from top to bottom. In fact, Gros tends to gush a bit when discussing the merits of his band mates.

On Russell Batiste: "He is a complete innovator of New Orleans funky drummers. You have Earl Palmer, Smokey Johnson, Zigaboo (Modeleste), Willie Green, Johnny Vidacovich and Russell Batiste is the new guy in that line of funk drummers. He has his own conception, his own ideas and it is based on all those other drummers I just mentioned, but there is something unique and different every time he gets behind the drum kit. It is an expression of him as a New Orleans musician."

On June Yamagishi: "The guy can do anything. He has brilliant ears and is a ball of energy. He is as much a showman as he is a soloist, as he is an arranger, as he is a writer. He understands all aspects of being 'The Man.' But, he can be both a leader and a sideman. He is just amazing."

On Jason Mingledorff: "He is a great arranger. He is probably the most picky among us. He is very careful about our music. He always wants to make sure that what he is doing fits in to what we are doing."

On Peter V: "He just lays it down, groove, after groove, after groove."

On Marc Pero: "He is learning about New Orleans music. He comes from a different background, more of a popping jazz bass sound. So it makes it interesting for us because when he lays down a groove it gives us a little different sound."

And like no two gumbos are alike, no two nights are the same with PGF.

"That's the great thing about these guys is they can play the same song night, after night, after night and it is always different," Gros says, admiration gleaming in his eyes. "And to me, that is the magic of a really strong band. They are challenging each other at every gig -- make something happen, make me want to be here tonight. No one is ever bored.

"There are no weak links in this band. No way. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to pick guys I was good friends with and I respected what they do. These were the first guys I called when I was looking to put together a band."

The real beauty of this band is that, although Gros is clearly the force behind it, it's leader, each member assumes his responsibility without direction, like cogs in a gear without the need for supporting axle, although Gros is ever-present.

"Someone has to be the one that shapes and sculpts," says Gros. "You need to have direction and to allow it to breathe. But I am not telling anybody what to do. I know what they are capable of. They give me something interesting every night. I did not hire a drummer to play like I want him to play. I hired Russell Batiste to play like Russell Batiste. I got June Yamagishi to play like June Yamagishi. I got all these guys to play like themselves within this musical environment.

"That is the magic."

What will truly be magical is for PGF to create a similar scene nationally as they have already done locally, like their funky predecessors, the Meters and the Neville Brothers. Although PGF has had some success on the road -- a gig as the after show band for the Meters reunion party in San Francisco for one -- it is not cost effective at present. But…they are working on it.

"We are slowly working to try to achieve that," says Gros. "But right now we make more money in town than out of town, which is sad, but the only way to take the show on the road is to take it slow and pick and choose where we play. That is the sad part about the business. We would love to play anywhere, but we have to make money because this is our livelihood.

"But one day that will turn. Right now we are not that well known outside New Orleans. But we have people trying to help us get there."

PGF plans to play in New York, Baltimore and San Francisco this summer.

With more gigs out of town where exposure is maximized, perhaps PGF will go the route of those esteemed funk bands before them like the Meters and Neville Brothers.

"We all have that dream to influence other musicians, " Gros says. "But, we just do what we do. My whole goal is to be a New Orleans musician and promote New Orleans music, promote the history and tradition and to find a way to make something more out of it."

And more of Papa Grows Funk appears to be clearly better.