The Meters

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The Meters
Art Neville & George Porter, Jr. of the Funky Meters, 2004
Art Neville & George Porter, Jr. of the Funky Meters, 2004
Background information
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana
Genre(s) R&B, Funk, New Orleans
Years active 1969–1977, 1989-
Label(s) Josie, Reprise
Website http://www.funkymeters.com/
Members
Art Neville (keyboard, vocals)

George Porter, Jr. (bass, vocals)
David Russell Batiste, Jr. (drums)
Brian Stoltz (guitar)
Former members
Zigaboo Modeliste (drums)

Leo Nocentelli (guitar)
Cyril Neville (percussion, vocals)

The Meters were an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their music from the late 1960s until 1977. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, they are considered one of the progenitors of funk.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] The 70's

Art Neville, the group's frontman, launched a solo career around the New Orleans area in the mid-1950s, while still in high school. The Meters formed in 1965, with a line-up that included keyboardist and vocalist Aaron Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste later joined by percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville. They became the house band for Allen Toussaint and his record label, Sansu Enterprises.

In 1969, the Meters released "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut", both major R&B chart hits. "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" were also hits the following year. After a label shift in 1972, the Meters had difficulty returning to the charts, but they played on several important records, working with Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, Labelle and Robert Palmer.

In 1974 Paul McCartney invited the Meters to play at the release party for his Venus and Mars album aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones was in attendance at the event, and he was greatly taken with The Meters and their sound. The Rolling Stones invited the Meters to open for them on their Tour of America in 1975. That same year, the Meters recorded one of their most beloved and successful albums, Fire On The Bayou. From 1976-77 they played in The Wild Tchoupitoulas with George & Amos Landry and the Neville Brothers. The band broke up in 1977. Toussaint claimed the rights to the name "The Meters", so they played under various other names and in various combinations for the rest of the decade.

They appeared on Saturday Night Live on March 19, 1977.

[edit] Reunion

In 1989, the members of The Meters appeared at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in an informal jam session, and decided to reform. Zigaboo Modeliste was replaced with David Russell Batiste, Jr., a longtime collaborator with Allen Toussaint who had also worked with Robbie Robertson and Harry Connick, Jr.

In 1994, the departure of Leo Nocentelli led to them inviting old friend Brian Stoltz into the fold as guitarist. Stoltz had been the guitarist for The Neville Brothers during the '80s, and during the '90s had done session work on records with Bob Dylan, Edie Brickell, Dr. John and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few. Under this new line up, the band was renamed to the Funky Meters.

[edit] The Original Meters

On the other hand, the original members of the Meters (including Modeliste and Nocentelli) also have been reforming for shows from time to time. To differentiate from the Funky Meters, this version of the band is usually referred to as the Original Meters.

The Original Meters have played the following dates:

Date City Venue
11/11/00 San Francisco, CA The Warfield Theater
04/23/05 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
09/25/05 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
(Benefit for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina)
10/30/05 Las Vegas, NV Vegoose
11/11/05 Chicago, IL House of Blues
11/12/05 Chicago, IL House of Blues
11/18/05 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
11/19/05 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
11/25/05 New York, NY Nokia Theater
03/11/06 Sunrise, FL Langerado Music Festival
03/12/06 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
(opening act for the Rolling Stones)
04/30/06 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
08/3/06 New York, NY Nokia Theater
08/16/06 Hollywood, CA Hollywood Bowl
(with the Neville Brothers)
10/28/06 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Music Experience

[edit] Discography

[edit] Select Albums

  • The Meters (1969), Sundazed
  • Look-Ka Py Py (1970), Josie
  • Struttin' (1970), Sundazed
  • Cabbage Alley (1972), Sundazed
  • Rejuvenation (1974), Sundazed
  • Fire On The Bayou (1975), Sundazed
  • The Best of The Meters (1975), Mardi Gras
  • Trick Bag (1976), Sundazed
  • New Directions (1977), Sundazed
  • Uptown Rulers: The Meters live on the Queen Mary (1992), Rhino
  • Funkify Your Life: The Meters Anthology (1995), Rhino
  • Kickback (2001), Sundazed - rare and unreleased material
  • Fiyo at the Fillmore, Vol. 1 (2003), Too Funky - by the Funky Meters

[edit] External links