The Greyboy Allstars

The Greyboy Allstars return to The Observatory North Park on Friday, November 27, for their annual Thanksgiving Weekend show. They're calling this one the Thanksgiving Boogaloo, a homecoming to San Diego billed as a performance by the full original line-up. DJ Greyboy, the man who put the group together, will also play a special set.

To get why that matters, you have to go back to 1994. The Allstars first played together at San Diego's Green Circle Bar, when DJ Greyboy assembled a combo of local players to join him on stage. With Greyboy as producer, provocateur and namesake, the group built their sound around the revolutionary funk of Grant Green, Idris Muhammad and James Brown's J.B.'s. They've spent decades working that territory—jazz-funk revivalists with deep roots in the city.

The original line-up is a who's who of the scene. Saxophonist and flutist Karl Denson has toured with The Rolling Stones since 2014 and played sax on Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. Guitarist Michael Andrews, also known as Elgin Park, is a noted film composer whose cover of "Mad World" is central to Donnie Darko. Keyboardist Robert Walter leads Robert Walter's 20th Congress and plays with Mike Gordon of Phish. Rounding them out are session standouts bassist Chris Stillwell and drummer Aaron Redfield.

It's a full-band night with the original crew back together in the city where they started, and DJ Greyboy on the decks for his own set. The show is Friday, November 27, at The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave, starting at 8 PM.