The Meters

The definitive New Orleans funk band, the Meters played on numerous '60s and '70s records and originated the slinky grooves associated with that city. The group's eldest member and leader, Art Neville, was a part of the local scene since 1954, when he cut "Mardi Gras Mambo" with the Hawketts; the song remained a local standard over a half-century later. By 1960 he was leading a mostly-instrumental band, the Neville Sounds, that gigged in clubs and played on sessions for producer Allen Toussaint. The core of this band-himself, bassist George Porter Jr., guitarist Leo Nocentelli and drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste-became the Meters around 1965. Though patterned somewhat on Booker T. & the MG's, the Meters had a particularly New Orleans flavor, largely due to Modeliste's use of street-parade rhythms. The oft-covered 1969 single "Cissy Strut" exemplified their infectious grooves; the song was actually named by the trend-conscious Toussaint to reference the Sissy, a dance done in gay clubs. As Toussaint's house band, all or most of the Meters also played on Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time," Labelle's "Lady Marmalade," Lee Dorsey's "Yes We Can Can" and other local classics. The Meters' second phase began when they signed to Warner Brothers in 1972, adding Art's brother Cyril Neville on percussion. The sound now shifted to heavier funk (with Sly and Hendrix overtones), and most tracks had vocals. Some of the group's best-loved songs were introduced in this phase, notably the eternal carnival standards "Fire on the Bayou" and "Hey Pocky a-Way." They failed however to reach the crossover audience they were going for, even after recording with Paul McCartney and touring with the Rolling Stones; recording a song called "Disco is the Thing Today" surely didn't help. The group broke up in late 1977, though different lineups continued to play afterward. In 1979 Modeliste toured in the Rolling Stones spinoff band the New Barbarians. The Meters' legend continued to grow over the years, after Art and Cyril Neville went on to greater fame with the Neville Brothers. A new incarnation of the band with Art Neville and Porter Jr., now called the Funky Meters, appeared in the early '90s and became a popular fixture on the jam-band circuit; there were also a few later spinoffs, including the Meter Men with Phish's Page McConnell in Art Neville's slot. The four original Meters also played some high-profile reunion shows, the final ones happening during New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival and in Pasadena during 2017. Art Neville retired the following year but the others continued to play in different combinations, such as Foundations of Funk with Modeliste, Porter Jr., Cyril Neville and nephew Ivan Neville on keyboards.