(Funk) Papa Grows Funk - Shakin' - 2003, MP3, 192 kbps

Papa Grows Funk's first album, Doin' It, was pretty much straight Meters-style funk, with just a few hints of acid jazz courtesy of Jason Mingledorff's saxophone (the only instrument that made them different from The Meters' arrangement anyway). On this album, they move a bit away from straight Meters funk, and a bit more towards the acid jazz/funk sounds of groups like The Greyboy Allstars and to a lesser extent here, Galactic. For the most part, though, this almost sounds like a good Greyboy Allstars album with a bit more of a New Orleans twist. On their live album, and Mr. Patterson's Hat, they would strike a bit more of a balance between the Meters and acid jazz, making them somewhat more satisfying albums, but this is an enjoyable set of acid jazz-inflected funk. Still, I would recommend that listeners new to Papa Grows Funk start with either their live album, or Mr. Patterson's Hat (see my reviews of their other albums).