Once upon a time in San Diego, a group of up-and-coming musical badasses served as a backing band for their friend, DJ Greyboy, at his album release show, where they performed live interpretations of his acid jazz, neo-soul grooves. “We thought it was just a one-off gig,” says guitarist Elgin Park (a.k.a. Michael Andrews), but over thirty years later, he and his bandmates from that night – Karl Denson (woodwinds), Robert Walter (keyboards), and Chris Stillwell (bass) – and longtime drummer, Aaron Redfield, are still at it. “We enjoyed playing together so much that we started to book some other shows, and it just kind of grew from there,” says Walter.
And grow it did. In 1994, the Allstars released their debut LP, West Coast Boogaloo, featuring the legendary Fred Wesley of James Brown and P-Funk fame. They found early success and a dedicated global fanbase for soul-jazz and groove music. “It had a palpable chemistry right from the first rehearsal,” says Walter. “I’m always amazed by everyone’s skills and creativity.” Park credits the band’s diverse musical backgrounds as contributing to their success, citing an early European tour as a sign that they were onto something. “We were getting opportunities that I think would have been difficult to get were we a pop group,” says Park.
In parallel, as the Allstars project has grown, so have the band members’ careers outside the group. For his part, Denson went on to form and lead his own groups, including Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and the Karl Denson Trio, and has toured with The Rolling Stones since 2014 following the death of saxophonist Bobby Keys. Walter leads his own band, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, and has played with Phish’s Mike Gordon since 2015 and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters since 2022. Park’s career has taken him to film scoring and soundtrack work, including Gary Jules’ indelible and definitive cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack, and more recently working on the Pharrell Williams Legobiographical Piece by Piece. Stillwell and Redfield are busy session musicians, performing on recordings by Elton John, CeeLo Green, Sia, and Charli XCX, among others. “It’s tricky to find time to get together as much as we’d like,” says Walter, “but that prevents us from burning out. It’s always a treat when we can do it.” Park echoes Walter’s sentiments: “These are all big opportunities, and we all love to play, so it’s a lot to balance.”
Case in point: as the Allstars were recording a new album, Walter and Denson were called to work with Waters and the Stones, respectively, so the band pressed pause. Fortunately, they’d been sitting on a treasure trove of unreleased recordings, some of which are of tunes that have become live show staples over the years, and decided to release nine of them last week on Grab Bag: 2007-2023. “We knew we had these tunes in the vault that we loved and have always wanted to release and this seemed to be the perfect time,” says Park. The release functions as both a “gift” to longtime fans and as a way to clear the decks for the band to focus on new material ahead of their 2025 tour. “I love touring with this band,” says Walter. “We really start to develop and deconstruct the tunes, and the gigs get telepathic.”
Their focus on touring has helped keep them resilient in the face of an ever-changing music industry, and this informs their advice to today’s up-and-coming bands. “Get in a van and start touring,” says Walter. “Even if you make no money at first. It’s a great adventure and will bond the band and turn on fans. Sometimes, even if nobody gets you in your hometown, there is a place somewhere where your music will make sense to the audience, and you can build out from there.” Park also recommends an organic approach to growth by touring on releases in a world of YouTube shredders and bedroom composers. “I would advise people just to play together. You can’t fast forward this kind of thing, even with personal musical achievement.”
The Greyboy Allstars’ story is one of longevity (albeit unexpected), artistic growth, and adaptability. They have carved out a space in a rapidly changing industry by prioritizing relationships and collaboration, valuing their shared history, and staying true to their musical roots. Please do not sleep on their next tour!
