JOHN "PAPA" GROS John "Papa" Gros' debut CD, Day's End, described by Keith Spera (New Orleans Times-Picayune) as "bits of Leon Russell, Dr. John, and Little Feat plus a whole lot of John Gros" is a promisingly fresh look at New Orleans music. Born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, Gros studied French horn and piano at Loyola University. In 1996, he joined George Porter Jr..'s band, Runnin' Pardners where he honed his New Orleans piano and organ skills, paying great homage to Dr. John and Art Neville. In 2000, John founded the all-star funk conglomerate, Papa Grows Funk. Papa Grows Funk's down home New Orleans sound mixes the slinky Meters with a sophisticated jazz quintet at one helluva Mardi Gras party, making for one over the top, blow you away kind of gumbo. Conceived as a simple Monday night jam session, all of this simmered into two critically acclaimed CD's, Doin' It (2001) and Shakin' (2002), numerous Band of the Year awards and a coast to coast national fan base. Outside of PGF, John has been hard at work establishing himself as a New Orleans solo artist. Besides solo piano performances, he began a series called "Papa's Friday Night Special," which includes music jams with legendary New Orleans artists including Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Stanton Moore, Ivan Neville and Anders Osborne. These "Specials" have been described as ingenious nights of musical celebration. Currently "Papa" has been showcasing his New Orleans piano with his solo group, John "Papa" Gros. Day's End, honored as New Orleans' Best New Orleans Roots Rock CD of 2004 (Times-Picayune), introduces New Orleans music lovers to "Papa's" colorful songwriting while featuring his funky piano and gritty, soulful voice. Swamp blues, Dr. John-ish piano, Louisiana rock-n-roll, heartbreak ballads, and even a Cajun waltz highlight these musical gems. Gros "pulls the different strains of New Orleans music together similar to the way the Radiators and the subdudes do." (Gambit ) And that's good company. John "Papa" Gros is the sound of New Orleans and New Orleans music.