“John ‘Papa’ Gros is a bedrock New Orleans artist, a keyboardist, singer and songwriter who draws on funk, rhythm & blues and Americana songcraft; he also knows his way around the Mardi Gras music repertoire about as well as anyone.” – Keith Spera The New Orleans Advocate
Between 2000 and 2013, Gros led Papa Grows Funk, a highly revered group that mixed hard-hitting funk grooves with often unpredictable jazz spontaneity. The band released six critically-acclaimed studio albums. The group’s weekly gigs at the world-famous Maple Leaf became a staple for both locals and tourists alike, eventually leading to Gros touring in far off countries like Japan and Brazil.
After Papa Grows Funk dissolved, Gros briefly returned to sideman work, playing organ for a series of all-star tributes to Dr. John and the Neville Brothers. The 2014 Dr. John tribute, The Music Mojo of Dr. John, was later released as a critically-acclaimed live album that featured Gros playing with Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Jason Isbell, and John Fogerty. More importantly for Gros, those tribute concerts allowed him to play alongside his two biggest influences: the Doctor and Art Neville, both of whom passed in 2019.
Turning his attention back to being a bandleader, John has now released four albums, including this year’s “Giants” which pays tribute to some of his main musical influences. “I’m walking in the same path [as Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Art Neville,]” explains Gros. “I’ve been following them my whole life. Now, they’re no longer in front of me. They’ve gotten off the path but the path is still very clear.”
The Brass Machine lays down funky New Orleans-style street beats. Formed in 2014 at the University at Buffalo, The Brass Machine provides a unique blend of jazz, funk, and R&B, all in an infectious and energetic brass-y package. Having performed alongside national acts such as Earth, Wind, and Fire, Starship, The Soul Rebels, Rebirth Brass Band, Bonerama, John Papa Gros, CJ Chenier and more – The Brass Machine is hittin’ the streets HARD. Led by frontman “Kidd” Kyle Yagielski, the group has been named the best FUNK BAND in Western New York three years in a row by JazzBuffalo. If you want to hear music that’s good for your souls and soles, come party with The Brass Machine!
Since 2007 The Big Easy in Buffalo has brought New Orleans and Louisiana music and culture to the Western New York region several times a year for free and low cost live performance, as well as music education and mentoring for local musicians, students, and the community. Through The Big Easy in Buffalo thousands of students, dozens of local bands, and countless audience members in Western New York have been exposed to this unique American culture. The Big Easy in Buffalo is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature, Erie County, Goldfarb Financial, Erie County Legislator Michael Kooshoian, buffalo.fm, Dick & Jenny’s, Town Ballroom, and National Fuel Gas Co.
