The Meters

New Orleans funk achieved its definitive form through the Meters, whose influence extended beyond their personal releases into their extensive work supporting other performers, many under Allen Toussaint’s production. In contrast to the frenetic, unpredictable, and city-centric style of Sly Stone and James Brown, the Meters cultivated a rustic, grounded approach. Their catalog consisted almost entirely of instrumentals that foregrounded intricate, natural rhythmic interplay. Layered, off-beat percussion meshed with the raw, textured lines of guitar and organ, yielding a singular sound that cultivated a loyal following throughout the 1970s among figures such as Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, each of whom recruited the group for recording sessions. Though renowned for exceptional live performances, the Meters never achieved widespread commercial breakthrough, yet their grooves supplied foundational elements for much of the funk and hip-hop that followed in the 1980s and 1990s.

Art Neville remained the central figure throughout the Meters’ history, handling keyboards and vocals while serving as one of New Orleans’ most prominent musical leaders. As a teenager he cut the landmark “Mardi Gras Mambo” with the Hawketts for Chess Records. That exposure secured solo deals with Specialty and Instant, yielding several regional hits in the early 1960s. Around 1966 he assembled Art Neville & the Sounds alongside brothers Aaron and Charles on vocals, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, and bassist George Porter. The lineup emerged from casual jam sessions in New Orleans clubs. After operating briefly under the Sounds name, Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn engaged the instrumental core as the house band for Sansu Enterprises.

In that capacity the Meters backed Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, Betty Harris, and Toussaint himself. They simultaneously issued their own dance-oriented instrumental singles on Josie Records. “Sophisticated Cissy” and “Cissy Strut” reached the R&B Top Ten in spring 1969, while “Look-Ka Py Py” and “Chicken Strut” each climbed to number 11 the following year. The group remained with Josie through 1972, consistently placing within the R&B Top 50 and frequently inside the Top 40. Signing with Reprise in 1972 did not end their Sansu affiliation; Toussaint continued as producer and Sehorn as manager. Although hit singles became rarer, visibility stayed high. The band contributed to sessions by Robert Palmer, Dr. John, LaBelle, King Biscuit Boy, and Paul McCartney. By the arrival of 1975’s Fire on the Bayou they had scored a Top 40 hit with Rejuvenation’s “Hey Pocky A-Way” from 1974 and attracted a growing rock audience and critical notice. Fire on the Bayou earned strong acclaim, and the Meters supported the Rolling Stones on that band’s 1975 and 1976 tours.

In 1975 the Meters joined Art’s uncle and cousin George and Amos Landry—members of the Mardi Gras ceremonial Black Indian tribe the Wild Tchoupitoulas—for a collaborative album. The project also featured the full Neville brothers—Aaron, Charles, Art, and Cyril—and received enthusiastic reviews upon release in 1976. Cyril joined the Meters after the album appeared. Despite the praise, the record’s exploratory direction suggested the group felt limited by its established style. Those suspicions proved accurate when, the next year, the band parted from Toussaint and Sehorn to assert greater artistic control. New Directions appeared on Reprise in 1977, yet Toussaint and Sehorn soon asserted ownership of the Meters name. Rather than contest the claim, the ensemble dissolved: Art and Cyril formed the Neville Brothers with Aaron and Charles, while Nocentelli, Porter, and Modeliste pursued session work in New Orleans. Modeliste in particular gained wide recognition, touring with the New Barbarians in 1979 and relocating to Los Angeles during the 1980s.

The Meters resumed touring in 1990 with Russell Batiste replacing Modeliste on drums. Nocentelli departed four years later following a disagreement with Art over compensation for hip-hop samples drawn from earlier recordings; Brian Stoltz, formerly of the Neville Brothers, took his place. The group maintained an active touring schedule through the remainder of the decade.