hits created by legends such as Allen
Toussaint, Dr. John and The Meters
thrown in for good measure.
“I’d say at least 75 percent of the
music we play are originals and the rest
covers,” says Gros. His love for fellow
Crescent City musicians is evident in
the music choices he makes and the
songs he calls onstage.
Though he studied music at Loyola
University, it was not the piano, but
the French horn that he studied there.
Skilled on several instruments, Gros
says he failed jazz piano at Loyola and
decided that genre was not for him.
His love for rock ‘n’ roll, funk and New
Orleans music was too strong and he
followed his heart, never to look back.
Following school, Gros strengthened
his chops by playing at the Tropical Isle
on Bourbon Street for the next decade.
It was there that he met his wife, a
traveling nurse who fell in love with the
city, its music and with Gros. Though
required to play lots of familiar covers
for tourists, Gros says it was during
the second half of those gigs that he
could play New Orleans music and pay
homage to the greats who went before
him.
“That time period was great,” says
Gros. “It was there that I learned what
my strengths, weaknesses, loves and
dislikes were musically, and I had the
chance to grow,” he adds.
One of New Orleans’ musical
treasures, George Porter Jr., was looking
for a keyboard player at that time and
Gros was recommended for the job. It
was a musical collaboration that would
change his life.
“I always say I got my Bachelors
in music from Loyola, but I got my
Masters from George Porter,” was how
he described it.
Gros is grateful for all the opportunities
he has had and continues to have,
playing with so many of New Orleans’
most revered musicians. In addition to
tipping his hat to his mentors, Gros takes
his role as a New Orleans Ambassador
very seriously. He recounts his time after
Hurricane Katrina and how important it
was to take the music and the soul of
the city to other places and audiences so
that people would know the city’s heart
was still beating and it that it needed
their support. Gros says it was then he
truly became an ambassador, something
he still identifies as today.
“I remember running into Quint Davis
(of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Festival) on a flight home from Prague
and I asked him what we were going
to do. He told me we were going to go
home and make it happen. That Jazz
Fest was my favorite one of all,” he adds.
“I want as many people as possible to
be exposed to our music and this band,”
he says. Knowing he must continue to
earn the trust of old fans as well as find
new ones, Gros says he is completely up
for the job and ready to go.
Audiences across the country and in
the Caribbean will have the chance to
hear Gros with his newly formed band,
and as a guest player with renowned
band, Little Feat, at The Ramble on
the Island, in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Gros first hits the road with bandmates
Chris Adkins, Austin Clements and
Russ Broussard in late October before
returning home for regular gigs at local
clubs such as Chickie Wah Wah, d.b.a.
and the Maple Leaf.
Over the Thanksgiving holidays, on
Saturday, November 25, Gros will have
the privilege of playing with local guitar
legend and one of The Meters’ founding
PHOTO BY ZACK SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY
members, Leo Nocentelli, at Tipitina’s
celebration of 40 years of music.
Nocentelli and several of the city’s finest
players are billed as “The Funkin’ Truth.”
The show will feature Nocentelli, as
well as Gros, Stanton Moore on drums,
“Big Sam” on trombone, Bill “The
Buddha”Dickens on bass, Khris Royal
on sax and Erica Falls on vocals.
“I am thrilled to be among them,”
Gros said.
Gros is excited about all his other
upcoming gigs and tours and about
the success of the documentary, “Do
U Want It?” which played to a raucous
crowd of fans at the New Orleans Film
Festival. A standing ovation at the
end of the film clearly demonstrated
just how well loved he is. The crowd,
consisting of more fans and less
“Hollywood types,” clapped and sang
along, something that “never happens
at screenings,” according to Gros. With
his family and original bandmates by his
side, Gros says he was proud of all the
accomplishments his previous band had
met and of the work they did.
“It wasn’t easy watching it all again
since I’ve already lived it. But, I’m proud
of what we’ve done,” he says.
For more information on John Papa
Gros, visit his website http://johnpapagros.
com/
PHOTO BY BOB ADAMEK
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 13