Robert Walter - There Goes The Neighbourhood (Premonition Records)
New release from emminent jazz funkster, Robert Walter. Put your Roy Budd 'Get Carter' box-set back in the cupboard, Walter's bringing you bang up to date with a new album of old and new tunes.

29/01/2002

San Diego's Robert Walker is a searching and soulful piano and keyboard player. He's a composer of memorable songs in the funk/jazz vein. a band leader heading one of the hottest touring acts around today and a young, forward thinking musician with a deep and abiding respect for jazz's history and the formidable artists who created it. In 1993 he became founding member of the Greyboy Allstars. The band, fronted by saxophonist Karl Denson led the funk charge in the mid-1990s, touring incessantly throughout the U.S and Europe for five years before taking a break in 1998. Following the break-up, Robert Walter founded Robert Walter 20th Congress, who has released two albums: both are regarded as leading examples of the "new" sound in the resurgent popularity of jazz/funk. With the release of his new record, There Goes The Neighbourhood, Walter steps back and puts his own spin on the sound at the core of his influence.

Walter says There Goes The Neighbourhood is his "tribute to the great soul/jazz records of the 1960's". The albums recording process and song selection were designed with those records in mind. "Like most of the records from the 1960s, this album was recorded very quickly, over two days", says Walter. The choice of tunes on There Goes The Neighbourhood, both covers and originals, is also telling. "These songs are more connected to tradition than the stuff I do with 20th Congress," says Walter. "I wanted to bring out the blues element in my playing".

The accompanying musicians on There Goes The Neighbourhood are said to be the crème de la crème in jazz funk, past and present. Drummer Harvey Mason, who also composed a song for this release ('The Tease'), was the drummer on Herbie Hancock's Headhunters album. Saxophonist Red Holloway was a key member of the influential Jack McDuff Group of the mid-sixties that also featured a young George Benson. Bassist Chuck Rainey, who began his career with The Crusaders, a leading soul/jazz group of the 1970s. And the legendary guitarist Phil Upchurch turned out to be Walter's right hand man in the studio.

There Goes The Neighbourhood is out now on Premonition Records

Tour Dates:
2/1/02 - Burrard Ballroom - Century Plaza Vancouver, BC
2/2/02 - The Boot Pub Whistler, BC
2/5/02 - Elbo Room San Francisco, CA
2/19/02 - The AlleyFlagstaff, AZ
2/20/02 - Nita's Hideaway Tempe, AZ
2/21/02 - Knitting Factory - Hollywood Hollywood, CA
3/14/02 - Mercury LoungeAustin, TX
3/15/02 - Club DadaDallas, TX
3/16/02 - The VibeAustin, TX
3/17/02 - Young Avenue DeliMemphis, TN
3/18/02 - Proud Larry's Oxford, MS
3/19/02 - Cow Haus Tallahassee, FL
3/20/02 - Culture Room Fort Lauderdale, FL
3/21/02 - The Social Orlando, FL
3/22/02 - Side BarGainesville, FL
3/23/02 - Jack Rabbit's Jacksonville, FL
3/24/02 - Stella Blue Asheville, NC

Relevant Sites:
Band website - http://www.20thcongress.com

Crud Magazine 2002

04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture 04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures 04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap 04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball 04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria 04/02 K's Choice Interview 04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall 04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit 04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview 04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times 04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview 04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview 04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview 05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London 05/02 Breeders - Title K 05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes 05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch 05/02 Need New Body - Interview 05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton 05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays 06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park 06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview 06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger 06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview 06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not 06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus 06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe 06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy 06/02 Silverchair - Diorama 06/02 Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window 06/02 Soinc Youth - Interview 06/02 The Burn - The Smiling Face 06/02 The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton 06/02 The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham 06/02 The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill 06/02 Trik Turner - Interview 06/02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton 07/02 12 Stones Interview 07/02 Arolo -Interview 07/02 Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour 07/02 Cassius - Interview 07/02 Farrah - Interview 07/02 Glassjaw - Interview 07/02 Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview 07/02 Hoobastank - Running Away 07/02 Leaves - Interview 07/02 LL Cool Jay Interview 07/02 Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London 07/02 Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch 07/02 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf 07/02 Super Furry Animals - Interview 07/02 The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London 07/02 The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street London January 2001 July - August 2001 September - October 2001 November - December 2001 January - March 2002 April - July 2002 August - December 2002