The Greyboy Allstars - What Happened To Television? (CD) 2007-04-17 Karl Denson : Sax, Flute, Vocals, & Percussion Robert Walter : Keyboards Chris Stillwell : Bass, Vocals Elgin Park : Guitar, Vocals Zak Najor : Drums, Percussion, Vocals Tracklisting : 01. V Neck Sweater 02. What Happened to TV? 03. Still Waiting 04. Deck Shoes 05. How Glad I Am 06. Back in the Game 07. Left Coast Boogaloo 08. Old School Cylons 09. Knowledge Room 10. Pigeons Under Water 11. Give the Drummer Some More Links : greyboyallstars.com myspace.com/thegreyboyallstars Press Release : THE GREYBOY ALLSTARS' FIRST STUDIO RECORDING IN TEN YEARS - WHAT HAPPENED TO TELEVISION? TO BE RELEASED APRIL 17 ALBUM CO-PRODUCED BY FOUNDING MEMBER DJ GREYBOY. FEATURES CORE GROUP OF ROBERT WALTER, ELGIN PARK, KARL DENSON, CHRIS STILLWELL AND ZAK NAJOR, AND SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDING INARA GEORGE AND THE LIVING SISTERS. NORTH AMERICAN TOUR BEGINS MARCH 9 When The Greyboy Allstars first formed almost 15 years ago, some of the West Coast's visionary young musicians came together to realize the unique artistic vision of rare groove luminary DJ Greyboy: an original sound reminiscent of `70s soundtrack music. It not only was acclaimed at the time, but also proved seminal: Echoes of it can heard in the work of countless bands since, and each member of the group went on to achieve success as solo artists and in other collaborations. What Happened to Television?, the Greyboy Allstars' first studio album in a decade, finds the group reunited with DJ Greyboy, whose role as producer marks his first collaboration with the band since their 1995 breakthrough, West Coast Boogaloo. The new album will be released April 17 by Knowledge Room Recordings. Ironically, the Greyboy Allstars' success together served as a platform for the group's members to launch highly successful, substantially diverse—and all different from the Greyboy Allstars sound—solo careers; and the further immersed they became in their individual undertakings, the harder it became to bring everyone together to record and/or tour as The Greyboy Allstars. Hammond organist and keyboardist Robert Walter has recorded and toured with everyone from the Headhunters to downtown NYC avant rocker Bobby Previte. After the Greyboy Allstars scored the film Zero Effect, guitarist/composer/ Elgin Park (aka Michael Andrews) continued to write for the screen, scoring such critically praised films Donnie Darko and Me and You & Everyone We Know, as well as the underground TV hit "Freaks and Geeks." He has also produced recordings by Metric, Brendan Benson, Inara George and Gary Jules, whose Andrews-produced cover of "Mad World" reached #1 on the U.K. charts. Horn player Karl Denson became leader of one of the top live touring bands, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe. Bassist Chris Stillwell and drummer Zak Najor are one of the most sought after rhythm sections in any genre. An emphasis upon emerging West Coast artists is still essential to the Greyboy Allstars sound. In addition to singing backup on "Still Waiting," indie starlet Inara George is part of the vocal trio The Living Sisters (Eleni Mandell, Becky Stark and George) on the album's first single, "How Glad I Am," a song previously interpreted by the likes of Nancy Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Sandie Shaw and Brenda Lee. This memorable cover aside, the album features songs written by all of the group's members. DJ Greyboy helped the Allstars with the album's production and also performs on "Old School Cylons." In addition to recording the new album together, The Greyboy Allstars will embark on an equally rare tour of North America on March 9. Please see reverse for a list of confirmed dates; others TBA. The Greyboy Allstars' last studio release was A Town Called Earth (1997), which earned substantial critical praise. In a 4.5-star review, Allmusic Guide said the Greyboy Allstars "remind us of the vitality of live funk in an era dominated by pre-packaged samples." That same year saw the release of the album Live. Review by Hal Horowitz Since both reedman Karl Denson and keyboardist Robert Walter have busy solo careers, there is a nine-year gap between this release and Greyboy Allstars' last in 1997. Little has changed in the band's sound though, as the collective, with assistance from producer DJ Greyboy himself, who had been missing from the act that bears his name, rejoins for its third studio set. Although the bulk of the soloing is by Denson and Walter, it's the rhythm section of bassist Chris Stillwell and especially drummer Zak Najor that tightens the rubber band driving this music. Most of the album is instrumental but a few vocals pop up throughout to keep listeners on their toes. The most attention grabbing track features a vocal trio named the Living Sisters -- comprised of Inara George, Eleni Mandell and Becky Stark -- who contribute a sort of twisted Andrews Sisters slant on the Nancy Wilson '60s hit "How Glad I Am," the disc's only cover. It's one of the album's most concise and tightest performances and is not coincidentally the first (and likely only) single. George also appears in a supporting role on the get on the good foot funk of "Still Waiting," another vocal. Denson picks up flute for a shoulder shimmying "Deck Shoes" and "Back in the Game," sparring with Walter's B-3 on the latter for a classic example of the hip shaking funk this band seems to lay down in its sleep. The tune also features a George Benson-influenced solo from guitarist Elgin Park who generally lays low for the majority of the set, preferring to stick with rhythm. The album kicks off with a sizzling two-and-a-half minute slab of hot sauce in "V Neck Sweater" and never lets up from there. At its best, this band combines James Brown's knack for slamming riffs with the swinging groove of the Crusaders. It makes for a heady, irresistible sound perfect for the dancefloor or a top-down convertible ride on a sunny day.