The Meters

The Meters was a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. It was based in New Orleans. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, it was nonetheless greatly admired by cognoscenti and is considered one of progenitors of funk in the 1970s.

Related Topics:
New Orleans - Funk

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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 the late '60s, and became the house band for Sansu Enterprises, an Allen Toussaint-owned label. 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, though they played on many important records by Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, Labelle and Robert Palmer.

Related Topics:
Art Neville - New Orleans - 1950s - Sansu Enterprises - Allen Toussaint - 1969 - R&B - 1972 - Dr. John - Paul McCartney - King Biscuit Boy - Labelle - Robert Palmer

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In 1974 Paul McCartney invited the Meters to play at the release party for his Venus & Mars album aboard the Queen Mary in Los Angeles. At this event Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones was impressed by the Meters. They released a critically-acclaimed album, Fire on the Bayou, in 1975, and The Rolling Stones invited the Meters to open for them on their Tour of America. This was followed by a collaboration with George & Amos Landry and the Neville Brothers, The Wild Tchoupitoulas. The band broke up in 1977 after Toussaint claimed the rights to the name and they played as various incarnations of the Neville Brothers and with other bands.

Related Topics:
Paul McCartney - Venus & Mars - Mick Jagger - The Rolling Stones - Fire on the Bayou - 1975 - George & Amos Landry - Neville Brothers - The Wild Tchoupitoulas - 1977

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The Meters reformed with the new official name "The Funky Meters" after an informal jam during the 1989 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival replacing Joseph (Zigaboo) Modeliste with David Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums. Russell has recorded with Allan Toussaint, 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 with record with Bob Dylan, Edie Brickell, Dr. John and Linda Ronstadt, to name a few.

Related Topics:
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - Robbie Robertson - Harry Connick, Jr - Neville Brothers - Bob Dylan - Edie Brickell - Dr. John - Linda Ronstadt

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Original drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, who started out with the group as a 17 year old laid down some very influential rhythms, and found his beats sampled by numerous hip hop groups like Ice Cube, Run DMC, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah, and EPMD just to name a few. Ziggy relocated to Oakland California in the 80's where he teaches drumming, releases new music and performs around the Bay Area and the world with his Zigaboo Modeliste Aahkesstra!

Related Topics:
Ice Cube - Run DMC - NWA - A Tribe Called Quest - Beastie Boys - Oakland California

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The Meters gained new-found notoriety in 2001 winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Grammys. Their music has been used in films and commercials, and 2005 drum-and-guitar breaks from their 1970 version of "Oh, Calcutta!" (reinterpreted from the stage musical, and appearing on their "Look-Ka Py Py" album) was sampled by producer Rich Harrison, to provide the main loops of the hit song "1 Thing" by Amerie.

Related Topics:
The Grammys - Stage musical - Rich Harrison - Amerie

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At the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the original Meters reformed for a special performance. This went so well that the original group decided to play further dates in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and New York later in the year, including a benefit for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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