Good ol' funky Meters
Formed in 1965, The Meters developed a brilliant combination of tight melodic grooves and syncopated New Orleans "second line" rhythms highly charged with the organ, guitar, bass and drums each weaving lines trading off melody and rhythm roles seamlessly.
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| L. to R.: Leo, George, Zigaboo & Art |
In 1965, keyboardist & vocalist Art Neville recruited bassist George Porter Jr., young innovative drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste (he was then 17 !) and guitarist Leo Nocentelli to form what soon became the house band for Allen Toussaint's record label, Sansu Enterprises. They put their particular style and sound as backing musicians to the service of other local artists like Lee Dorsey, Earl King, Betty Harris, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Labelle (in the 1974 mega hit “Lady Marmalade”), Chris Kenner, Toussaint himself, or “outsiders” like Robert Palmer or Paul McCartney.
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In 1976, the band, joined by Charles and Aaron Neville, helped the Mardi Gras Indian group Wild Tchoupitoulas, led by the Nevilles' uncle Big Chief Jolly (George Landry), to record their acclaimed eponymous album.
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| The Neville Brothers |
The experience certainly played an important role in the formation of the Neville Brothers, after the Meters disbanded shortly after the release of their last album, “New Directions”, in 1977. After being revoked as the band's producer, Toussaint claimed the rights to the name ! The Meters gave up and called it quit. The Neville Brothers' time had come.
The Nevilles reached the successful stature that the Meters never did. Nevertheless, before the official end of the Neville Brothers in 2012, the Meters had already resurfaced under different names and varying line-up : The Funky Meters, The Original Meters, The Meter Men.
Russell Batiste had replaced Modeliste on drums. Four years later, Nocentelli left the band and was replaced by Brian Stoltz, who had played with the Neville Brothers, then by Ian Neville (Art's son) between 2007 and 2011, before Nocentelli's return. A bit confusing, isn't it ?
The album. All the ingredients of the New Orleans groove can be heard in this collection of various tracks recorded between 1968 and the mid-1970s and produced by Allen Toussaint . Not all of them are pure funk though the Meters sound is basically funky.
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| Art Neville |
The band delivers rocking numbers like the opener “Good Old Funky Music”, a dancing demonstration of early psychedelic funk a la Meters (prominent bass, wah-wah guitar, backing keyboard, and Modeliste special drumming style); like “Rock'N'Roll Medley” with its Dr John feel and typical multi-vocals by all members of the band; like the growling “He Bite Me” (hard bass & drum); like the outstanding “Pickin' And A Grinnin'” featuring Nocentelli impressive guitar over a devilish beat; like “Keep On Marching” with its rhythmic breaks.
The band alternates with the slow and sorrowful “Riddle Song”, an organ-led ballad sung by Art, which announces the future hits of the Neville Brothers sung by Aaron, and with soul numbers like “What More Can I Do?”, the melodic and melancholic mid-tempo “I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You” or “Heartache”.
They also deliver a rejoicing version of “Jambalaya” in a kind of reggae-flavored zydeco, and close the album in a rather spooky psychedelic atmosphere with “Voodoo”, an important element of New Orleans cultural tradition. I strongly suspect Cyril to be the one behind it.
Probably not the best work of the Meters, but some tracks really deserve a good listen and have a real historical interest. ■
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| Nocentelli (left) & Cyril Neville |
Videos
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| "Zigaboo" Modeliste |
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| Leo Nocentelli |
/ #3 : https://youtu.be/t2nobFbmqDc / #4 : https://youtu.be/Ar8jlglc814
/ #5 : https://youtu.be/KzXMrG0Y6Ms / #6 : https://youtu.be/4p47-nxxlRs
/ #7 : https://youtu.be/hX6fx_DlRes
■ Besides the Meters : Leo Nocentelli / George Porter Jr. / Cyril Neville / Zigaboo Modeliste / Russell Batiste
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| Funky Leo |
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| Porter |
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| Art on stage |
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| Zigaboo |
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| Cyril Neville |
■ And also...
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| Labelle (Patti is on the left) |
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