Saturday, May 5th, 2012- The Howlin’ Wolf New Orleans is proud to announce that The Original Meters will be playing their first New Orleans club show in over 30 years. The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists including Lee Dorsey and Dr John, many produced by Allen Toussaint. The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, created a distinctive sound that earned a devoted cult following during the ’70s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording. Despite their reputation as an extraordinary live band, the Meters never broke into the mainstream, but their sound provided the basis for much of the funk and hip-hop of the ’80s and ’90s.
Throughout their career, The Meters were led by Art Neville (keyboard, vocals), guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste, and bassist George Porter Jr., all leading figures of the New Orleans musical community. The band grew out of informal jam sessions and into producers Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn’s hired house band for their label Sansu Enterprises. As the house band, The Meters played on records by Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, and Betty Harris, as well as Toussaint himself. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing danceable instrumental singles. “Sophisticated Cissy” and “Cissy Strut” became Top Ten R&B hits, followed by legendary hits “Look-Ka Py Py,” “Hey Pocky A-Way.” The Meters stayed on the R&B Top 50 consistently throughout their recording career. In 1975 Art’s brother Cyril Neville joined The Meters after the release of their project Wild Tchoupitoulas. After a 13 year run, the band decided to part ways in 1977. The Meters have come together for select special events, joining them will be New Orleans funk band Papa Grows Funk and the Grammy-Nominated Rebirth Brass Band.
The Original Meters with Papa Grows Funk and Rebirth Brass Band
Saturday, May 5th, 2012, at The Howlin’ Wolf New Orleans, 907 S. Peters St.
Doors open at 9pm
Tickets are $70 and will go on sale Friday February 3 at 10am
Tickets can be purchased at TheHowlinWolf.com or at The Howlin’ Wolf Den
For more information contact management@thehowlinwolf.com
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