ROBERT WALTER'S 20TH CONGRESS
Money Shot

FOG CITY

Keyboardist Robert Walter -- best known as a founding member of the Greyboy Allstars -- conjures up all those qualities we no longer invoke without irony or Quentin Tarantino: He's groovy in the true Hammond-organ sense of the word, groovin' the way cats grooved in the '70s. Walter and his new band are deeply, deply funky but not contemporarily "funky fresh" -- theyre more Ohio Players or "Get Up, Get on Up." It's an earthy vibe, the kind that recalls an era when playing the vibes was still the thing to do. On this relese, Walter is joined by Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, as well as Cochemea Gastelum on saxophone, Dave Carano on bass and Chuck Prada on percussion. Everyone's great, and as a bandleader, Walter's strength lies in allowing each musician to do their best work, even when it overshadows his own keyboarding. Which is prodigious -- simple when it needs to be, virtuosic when it makes sense. They don't make 'em like this anymore -- this is jazz that's not improvisational or avant-garde, nor self-conscious in any way. It's just simple, straight-up funk that makes you realize how pretentious jam bands really are. When you've got good music and a good group of musicians, you don't need 20 minutes to get your groove on. It's already on to begin with.

- LIZ SPIKOL

Check out Robert Walter's website at http://www.fogworld.com/robert for more info on the band and the 20th Congress' gig schedule. You can also listen to their entire album online, in stereo and for free!