John Papa Gros - One of the Kings of New Orleans

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART OF NEW ORLEANS TO THE CELLAR IN BARNOLDSWICK

One of the true modern masters of New Orleans music…The incredible JOHN "PAPA" GROS.

For one unforgettable night, BMAAC will be transformed into a wild, sweat-soaked Mardi Gras carnival of rolling piano, Hammond organ grooves, second-line rhythms, deep Southern soul, street-parade funk and late-night Louisiana magic.

This is not nostalgia. This is the REAL SOUND OF NEW ORLEANS. Alive. Dangerous. Joyful. Deeply human.

Born and raised in New Orleans itself, John "Papa" Gros is more than just a musician — he is part of the living bloodstream of the city. A pianist, organist, songwriter and vocalist whose music carries the DNA of Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Art Neville and The Meters, Gros has spent more than THREE DECADES carrying the sacred groove traditions of Louisiana into the modern world.

And when the legendary Allen Toussaint himself says of Gros:

"With John, there is a marvelous difference and it's to the bone." …you listen.

From the moment he first sat at a piano as a child in New Orleans, Gros absorbed the sound of the city like humid air rolling through Bourbon Street at midnight. While formally trained at Loyola University in French horn performance, his REAL education came in the clubs, bars and backstreet jams of New Orleans — where groove means survival and every note has to MEAN something.

By the 1990s, Gros had become one of the city's most respected sidemen, working alongside an astonishing roll call of Louisiana royalty including George Porter Jr., Snooks Eaglin, Earl King, Irma Thomas, Anders Osborne and Better Than Ezra. Performing with George Porter Jr.'s Runnin' Pardners placed Gros directly into the bloodline of The Meters — the very architects of New Orleans funk itself.

Then came the birth of the now legendary PAPA GROWS FUNK.

What started as loose Monday night jams at the iconic Maple Leaf Bar soon exploded into one of the most beloved funk bands in America. For TWELVE YEARS, Papa Grows Funk became the soundtrack of uptown New Orleans nightlife — sweaty, spontaneous, loose, funky and utterly alive. Their famous Maple Leaf residency became the stuff of legend, attracting musicians, tourists, jazz heads, funk freaks and Mardi Gras survivors from across the globe.

Critics described the band's sound as: "smooth jazz and riotous Mardi Gras music."

The band toured relentlessly throughout America and Europe, released multiple acclaimed albums and became synonymous with modern New Orleans groove culture. Their album Needle In The Groove was even co-produced by the great Allen Toussaint himself.

Yet Gros has always been more than a funk revivalist.

His solo work reveals a songwriter of remarkable depth — chronicling the beauty, heartbreak, resilience and spirit of New Orleans itself. Albums such as River's On Fire captured the emotional scars and determination left behind after Hurricane Katrina, while Central City became a glorious celebration of New Orleans songcraft and community spirit.

Reviewers praised River's On Fire as:
"One of those albums you 'see' because the stories are so well told."

Another critic wrote that Gros creates music that feels like:
"A slice of NOLA that will make you long for a Po Boy and a Sazerac."

And through every storm — literal and metaphorical — Gros kept rebuilding.

Hurricane Katrina changed the city forever.
Then Hurricane Ida destroyed Gros' own family home and rehearsal space in 2022. But true New Orleans musicians do not quit. They rebuild. They play louder. They dance harder.

Out of that devastation came Silent S Recording Studio and ultimately his powerful new project Giants (2026) — a heartfelt groove-drenched tribute to the towering musical spirits who shaped his life: Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Billy Preston, Levon Helm and The Meters. Recorded LIVE in New Orleans with support from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the album captures Gros at the absolute peak of his powers.

Beyond the stage, Gros' music has travelled deep into popular culture, appearing in HBO's Treme, NCIS: New Orleans, The Judge, C.L.A.W.S. and even major NBA playoff and MLB championship broadcasts — carrying the sound of New Orleans to millions around the world.

But make no mistake…THIS MUSIC WAS BUILT FOR SMALL ROOMS. FOR SWEAT. FOR HUMAN CONNECTION. FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FEEL THE GROOVE SHAKE THE FLOORBOARDS. And that is exactly why BMAAC is the PERFECT setting.

Mardi Gras street-party energy, Jazz, soul, funk and blues colliding in real time, The spirit of Bourbon Street brought roaring into Barnoldswick

BMAAC — where music doesn't just play…

IT STRUTS.