Improvisation is at the root of The Big 'Ol Nasty Getdown, which was conceived by bassist John Heintz at a music festival in 2007. Heintz found himself in a jam session with members of Galactic, Papa Grows Funk,
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and more, and sought to re-create that serendipitous, unrehearsed vibe that's unexpectedly created and can carry music to unexpected places.
Heintz shares, "I began thinking, 'What if that same sense of camaraderie and excitement could be created in the studio?" and began presenting the concept to every musician he knew with Derrick Johnson and John Paul Miller from Yo' Mama's Big Fat Booty Band being early adopters, and keyboard player, Frank Mapstone, becoming an essential part to the project soon after the recording began.
The first Big Ol' Nasty Getdown took to
Royal Street in the
French Quarter of New
Orleans in December 2007 and was a free-floating ensemble of 35 musicians from 17 bands using hand-held recorders, iPhones and video equipment to make music over an eight-day period. The band did a second free-for-all session at George Clinton's studio, with the man himself contributing vocals on multiple tracks, and
Volume I was born.
Recorded in a cabin in the woods of Asheville, NC.,
Volume II's cast is composed of more than 50 musicians and serves as a testament to the The Getdown's impressive network of repertoire, including contributions from Vernon Reid (Living Color,) Speech (Arrested Development,) Larry Dunn (Earth, Wind and Fire,)
Fred Wesley (James Brown, Horny Horns)
Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones, Tiny Universe,)
Michael Ray and Clifford Adams (Kool and the Gang,)
RonKat Spearman (Katdelic, Parliament-Funkadelic,) Alvin Ford Jr. (Dumpstaphunk,) Norwood Fisher,
Angelo Moore and Walter Kibby II (Fishbone,) Rev. Desmond
D'Angelo (The Soular System),
Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk, The Funky Meters) and countless more.
The Getdown is set to announce more U.S. shows soon and has already started to assemble volumes III and IV at The Foo Fighter's own Studio 606 with help from members of War, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311,
Jane's Addiction and more.
"As the project progresses, we're seeing an evolution on each album, even from song to song," Mapstone says. "In the festival world, musicians will spontaneously sit in with other bands on stage and gather for late night jams. At our sessions, we catch those moments and put them out into the world."
