About the Getdown
The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown: A Legacy of Collaboration and Innovation
In 2007, the music world witnessed the birth of The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown, a groundbreaking collective founded by producer and bassist John Heintz. Heintz, joined by John Paul Miller and Derrick Johnson of Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and producer Frank Mapstone, sought to unite world-class musicians across genres to create music that was both timeless and unrestrained by industry boundaries. This core team set the stage for what would become one of the most ambitious collaborative projects in modern music.
In December 2007, The Getdown held its first gathering in a sprawling 12-bedroom mansion in New Orleans’ French Quarter during Jazz Fest, where over 35 musicians from Parliament Funkadelic, Galactic, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dumpstaphunk, The Lee Boys, and more engaged in round-the-clock jam sessions and songwriting marathons. The energy of New Orleans became the lifeblood of the project, producing a sound unlike anything the participants had experienced before.
Momentum grew when legendary funk pioneer George Clinton joined the project, offering his private studio in Tallahassee to complete recordings and mix what would become the group’s debut. The Getdown became the first external project to utilize Clinton’s studio, helping to fund essential renovations that transformed the facility into a fully functioning recording hub. A highlight of these sessions was the reunion of Clinton with Sidney Barnes on the track “The Beauty of Pretty,” rekindling a creative partnership dating back to their Parliament-Funkadelic days.
The Getdown made its live debut at the Loki Music Festival in 2008, marking the beginning of an expanded lineup and showcasing their ability to translate studio magic onto the stage. Despite the heartbreaking loss of bandmates Garry Shider and Belita Woods in 2010 and 2011, the collective forged ahead, adding members from Fishbone, Graham Central Station, Delta Nove, and Kool & the Gang while performing at major festivals.
The release of “Volume 1” in 2011 was met with critical acclaim, earning nominations for Album of the Year from the Independent Music Awards and Los Angeles Music Awards. The single “College Funk” won Funk/Groove Song of the Year at the HMMA, while “Wake Me Up” was nominated for Country Song of the Year, reflecting the collective’s genre-blending spirit. The project also collaborated with leading visual artists including EMEK, Stozo, Adam Strange, and Evan York, expanding its creative reach.
In 2013, “Volume 2” sessions began with 26 musicians gathering at a mountain cabin in Asheville, NC, followed by further sessions in Asheville and Los Angeles. Mixing took place in 2015 at Studio 606, the Foo Fighters’ private studio, which became the Getdown’s home base for over 20 sessions across five years. During this period, the project expanded to include members from 311, Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, War, Babes in Toyland, and Pearl Jam, while collaborating with visual artist Marq Spusta for a limited-edition vinyl release.
The Getdown returned to the stage in 2018 with a 23-musician lineup featuring Norwood Fisher (Fishbone), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Leo Nocentelli & Cyril Neville (The Meters), and Nick Etwell (Mumford & Sons), with standout performances including UtopiaFest in Texas. The group toured again in 2019, welcoming Claude Coleman (Ween) and Leon Mobley (Ben Harper’s Innocent Criminals) into its ever-expanding family.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, The Getdown adapted seamlessly, with Heintz innovating remote collaboration workflows that led to nearly 100 new songs in 18 months. The lineup grew to include members of Primus, Suicidal Tendencies, 24-7 Spyz, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Korn, Railroad Earth, Moe, String Cheese Incident, and Umphrey’s McGee, underscoring the project’s ability to attract top-tier talent across genres. This period birthed the “RepurposE Purpose Vol. 1” EP, built on Heintz’s concept of stripping existing songs down to their drum tracks and rebuilding new compositions with a rotating cast of world-class musicians. The EP, anchored by the track “All Together Now” recorded live in 2016 with Jack Irons, released on September 6, 2024, with vinyl following on November 29, 2024.
In early 2023, The Getdown released a limited-edition EP featuring “Mellow” with Kendra Foster, believed to be the final recording of Cynthia Robinson (Sly & The Family Stone), and “Dream” with Taylor Dayne. Another milestone for 2023 was the collaboration with 11-year-old bassist Ellen Alaverdyan and her father Hovak on the single “Wrong Side of the Law,” featuring Dino Jelusick on vocals which was released June 20th of 2025.
In January 2024, The Getdown released a limited-edition 7” vinyl with Dutch bassist Remco Hendriks, featuring a full-band reimagining of his viral hit “Trill Seekers” and the high-energy original “Bananas,” created with musicians including Wes Ritenour, Peter Keys, Timo Somers, Nic Chaffee, Bobby Sparks, Keith Anderson, Tim Stewart, Jack Irons, and Jim Loughlin. The release garnered acclaim across the US, Europe, and Asia, prompting plans for a follow-up collaboration.
On September 19th 2025 the Getdown released the highly anticipated “Volume 3” to critical acclaim.
Looking ahead, The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown has an exciting slate of releases for 2026 including “Volume 4”, “The Monster” EP and RepurposE Purpose ‘Volume 2’ along with several other songs in the pipeline for future albums, reflecting their continued creative momentum. As they expand their live performance plans, The Getdown remains a testament to the power of musical collaboration, bridging genres and generations while producing music that is both innovative and deeply rooted in the traditions of funk, rock, and improvisation.
What makes the music special: “The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown is a DIY triumph in a major label world, proving that passion, determination, community, and vision can build something more powerful than any corporate machine. By uniting legendary players and the next generation of elite musicians without the constraints of label politics, the Getdown captures the raw spirit of improvisation while delivering polished, timeless records that stand toe-to-toe with big-budget releases. It’s a testament to what can happen when music is created for the love of it—and shared with the world on its own terms.
Accolades and Quotes:
“The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown is an all-star band drawing from across the landscape of freakout-funk.”
-The New York Times
“It’s quite extraordinary what they have put together and I’m honored to be apart of this project” says Taylor Dayne. “These are some of the biggest, baddest, greatest, Jazz, Funk, Blues, players out there and what I can say? I’m a part of Volume 2. It’s very exciting!”
“Thank you for the opportunity to play with some of my favorite people in this round world” - Guitarist Vernon Reid of Living Colour on The Getdown’s Volume 2
Volume 1’s single “College Funk” was awarded the 2011 “Funk Song of the Year” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs), and garnered nominations for 2012 “Album of the Year” at the LA Music Awards.
“We have no choice but to give the Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown – Volume 1 a 5 out of 5 afros and we can’t wait to hear the forthcoming future volumes.” –Funkatopia
“This is ridiculous! I can’t stop dancing long enough to write this damned review!” –Andy Snipper (MusicNews.com)