The Greyboy Allstars w/ guest
Price:
$25.00 / $27.00 day of show
7/11/09
On the heels of highly successful reunion tour last year, The Greyboy Allstars met in the studio for the first time in a decade to make What Happened to Television?, which is also the group’s first collaboration with DJ Greyboy since their seminal 1995 debut, West Coast Boogaloo.
As on that album, which featured former James Brown musical director Fred Wesley, one hears on What Happened to Television? elements of the old-school funk and soul that have always preoccupied the band’s namesake DJ, who returns here as co-producer in addition to performing on a track.
It was as an extension of Greyboy’s weekly residency spinning records at San Diego’s now defunct Green Circle Bar that the Allstars first formed in 1993—a diversity of emerging independent musicians who coalesced around a scene-defining DJ and his unique ear for music. After a few years in which word of the group—and, soon, the Allstars themselves—made their way around the world, it became clear to Greyboy that he was not interested in the touring life. So, retaining his name and spirit, the band continued on without him, recording and performing together for several more years.
What Happened to Television? reunites Greyboy with the band he and co-founder Karl Denson originally handpicked—Robert Walter (keyboards), Elgin Park (aka Mike Andrews; guitar, vocals), Chris Stillwell (bass, vocals) and Zak Najor (drums, percussion, vocals)—each of whom shared in the album’s songwriting responsibilities.
Karl Denson went on to lead one of the most successful touring bands as well as recording with artists ranging from Miles Davis cohorts Jack Dejohnette and Dave Holland to the Blind Boys of Alabama. Robert Walter has released several celebrated solo album, leads many successful touring groups and plays with the legendary Headhunters. The rhythm section of Chris Stillwell and Zak Najor have been playing together since their early days as part of San Diego group Motherlode and have since lent their talents to everyone from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Ozomatli to Inara George.
Even for these now well-seasoned musicians, the catalytic force that seems to take hold when they collaborate with each other seems to pleasantly surprise them. Denson puts this accelerated pace of creation into perspective. “What we did in one week would take me two months to do of the same quality in any other situation,” he reasons.
