"This is the kind of old school jazz that beatniks and other cultural outlaws used to groove to,
but Walter's beating it up and taking it to schools yet to be erected."
(San Diego Daily)
Robert Walter has built a reputation as one of America's heaviest jazz-funk keyboardists.
As a founding member of the Greyboy Allstars, he toured throughout North America and Europe with the group
for five years. along the way, He contributed to the soundtrack of the major motion picture "Zero Effect"
and has performed and recorded with such jazz and funk heavyweights as
Fred Wesley,
Gary Bartz,
Melvin Sparks,
Andy Bey
and
Reuben Wilson.
Now 30 years of age, Robert leads a new band with a new groove and a rapidly growing following.
Robert Walter's 20th Congress features Robert on electric piano and organ,
Cochemea "Cheme" Gastelum on alto sax, electric sax and flute,
Chris Stillwell on bass and George Sluppick on drums.
They've been touring the United States and Canada since November
1998 and have just released their debut full-length recording
"Money Shot" on San Francisco's
Fog City Records.
The 20th Congress sound is often labeled "groove jazz",
although on a song by song basis the band's center of gravity
may be more precisely called funk, soul jazz, or boogaloo.
All of that genre cross-pollination (and some heavy experimentation
with echo and effects) might make "fusion" a better label for the band,
if it weren't for the unfortunate "studio nerd" image that the term
is now associated with.
While Robert's own songwriting (and Cheme's solos) may have a harmonic
complexity that is found more often in mid-70s fusion than in most of today's "funk bands",
the Twentieth Congress' rhythm section cultivates a vibe from an earlier,
sweatier jazz tradition.
As Robert puts it, "the problem I have with some of the hardcore jazzbos is
that they seem sort of cookie-cutter in their attitude towards other forms of music and composition.
I like to play around with ideas, and get into improvisation and all that,
but it's got to be something that makes people move. And that's really where
jazz started out. People forget that."
Growing up, Walter attended the School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego,
studying classical harmony and piano. He played in many blues and rock bands and
was a founding member of the San Diego funk band Daddy Long Leggs.
In addition to his jazz and funk pursuits, Walter regularly performs on rock records,
including three albums by avant punk group Creedle and an upcoming A&M records release by folk pop songwriter
Gary Jules.
Last fall the band opened for Herbie Hancock in Boulder, Colorado.
According to the Colorado Daily's Dave Kirby,
"Walter's set was a clean, tight, tough-as-nails serving of funk-based jazz and post-swing near bop,
and judging by the reaction of the unusually receptive crowd,
Walter and his bass-drums-sax outfit absolutely nailed one of the biggest gigs of his life."
"When the Greyboy All Stars went their separate ways a few years ago, each
member had a good shot at a successful solo career. Of all of
the former members, the ones that have stayed the closest to the original
boogaloo vision, and the ones who have developed the best BAND have been
bassist Chris Stillwell, and organist Robert Walter. Since releasing their
outstanding "Money Shot" CD on Fog City last year, the band with a solid
lineup has been tearing up stages throughout the country. They have had their
share of bad luck, including the theft of their equipment trailer in
Arizona, but they have responded to adveristy with intensity on the stage.
Though I missed the Fest, I heard that they absolutley scorched at High
Sierra, perhaps even upstaging Denson and co. Though Walter and Stillwell
have the pedigree, the real star of this band is saxaphonist Cochemea
"Chimi" Castellum, who has overcome early-career stagefright to become a
positively frightening presence on stage. Go see these guys" (DJ Rob Kowal)
