Vinyl Vault — Robert Walter, “Spirit of ’70”

It’ll be a funky good time on the next Vinyl Vault as we spin an album from Greyboy Allstar’s keyboard player Robert Walter, entitled “Spirit of ’70.” The album was originally issued in 1996 and went out of print. Royal Potato Family Records rescued the disc and reissued it in 2021 on tangerine vinyl!

The album featured the Greyboy Allstars as the backing band along with Gary Bartz on alto and soprano saxophones. The Allstars, at the time, were Karl Denson on alto and tenor saxophones, Elgin Park on guitar, Chris Stillwell on bass, and Zak Najor on drums. The album was produced by Greyboy himself and recorded in his living room/studio.

“Spirit of ‘70” is a reference to the decade funk came into its own as a popular genre and on the album, the band of then-young upstart funksters were determined to show that they could carry the funk mantle into a new century. Indeed, subsequent events have proven that the Greyboy Allstars and its members have been delivering on that promise for nearly 30 years now. As the Royal Potato Family described the record, it’s “a red hot set of soul jazz, boogaloo and rare groove.”

Check it out with Geoff Anderson on the next Vinyl Vault on Tuesday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. on KUVO JAZZ.

Stay connected to KUVO’s programs and our community! Sign up for the Oasis E-News today!