Meter Men Meet & Greet Facebook Contest

The Meter Men Featuring Three Of The Four Original Members Of
New Orleans’ Legendary Funk Band The Meters Plus Page McConnell Of Phish
This Friday March 22 In NYC At Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom
Meet & Greet Contest Announced

CEG & Nolafunk will host The Meter Men, which features three of the four original members of the legendary funk band from New Orleans The Meters (George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, and Zigaboo Modeliste) with Page McConnell of Phish this Friday March 22 at The Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center. The show will also feature Chicago’s The Main Squeeze, a rising funk band that is gaining national prominence, plus DJ Cochon de Lait in between sets.Tickets are still available through Ticketweb.com and (800) 745-3000.
A contest has been announced to MEET THE METER MEN! Participants should share the provided image as a status tagging CEG Presents and NOLAFUNK and share with their friends "I'm seeing The Meter Men this Friday and I want to meet the band because…" CEG & Nolafunk will select 4 lucky winners to MEET THE METER MEN AND PAGE MCCONNELL! Participants must purchase a ticket, advance or day of show, in order to win the prize. Winners will be notified via Facebook with instructions for the meet and greet. Contest link is http://on.fb.me/148iJwV.

It's no stretch to say that The Meters singlehandedly defined New Orleans funk. Performing and recording their own music throughout the latter half of the '60s and into the '70s, this seminal group laid the foundation for what is now a ubiquitous genre, influencing countless funk musicians with their earthy, down-home style. Tracks like "Cissy Strut," "Look-Ka Py Py," "Sophisticated Sissy," and "Chicken Strut" are staples of the funk genre, and the band's work backing artists like Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, and even Paul McCartney is instantly recognizable. The Meters' sound also provided a jumping off point for much of the hip-hop of the '80s and '90s, with rap luminaries like LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and more sampling the band's tracks.

Show Details:
Friday March 22 7pm Doors 8pm Show
The Meter Men:
George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Zigaboo Modeliste, and Page McConnell of Phishw/ special guests The Main Squeeze & DJ Cochon de Lait

Ticket Options:
General Admission Floor Standing: $49.50 // $55 DOS
General Admission Balcony Seated: $59.50 // $65 DOS
VIP Premium Roped Off Area Up Front of Floor with Table Seating with Private Waitress Service: $79.50 // (Almost Sold Out)

Grand Ballroom (At Manhattan Center)
311 West 34^th Street (Between 8^th & 9^th Avenues)
New York, NY

Tickets Still Available Via Ticketweb.com, Nolafunk.com and (800) 745-3000.

www.nolafunk.com
www.cegpresents.com

Upcoming: Meter Men @ Grand Ballroom

With  

Special Guests TBA

Friday March 22, 2013
7pm Doors 8pm Show

Grand Ballroom
(At The Manhattan Center)
311 W 34th St, New York, NY
(212) 279-7740

Tonight: 50% OFF Meters Experience Presents "Icons Of Funk" feat. Leo Nocentelli, Fred Wesley & Stanton Moore

50% with code "BBKingFunk"

The Meters Experience Presents

Icons Of Funk

Ft. Leo Nocentelli, Fred Wesley & Stanton Moore

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Leo Nocentelli ( The Meters)

Guitarist, composer, founding member of the internationally known group The Meters!
In their 41-year history, The Meters have grooved their way around the globe. They have toured with such talents as The Rolling Stones, and have been the rhythm for such diverse artists as Dr. John, Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and Patti Labelle. Considered by many to be the founding fathers of funk, The Meters created a unique sound that lasted through the sixties and seventies and was reborn in the late eighties. Their trademark sound blends funk, blues, and dance grooves with a New Orleans vibe.
http://www.nocentelli.com/ 

Fred Wesley (JB Horns. / P Funk)
Trombonist, composer, arranger, bandleader and author known worldwide as one of the architects of funk music. Fred's work with Godfather of Soul James Brown in the 1970s established him as the world's funkiest trombone player. Today he fronts his own jazz-funk band, the New JBs, passes his expertise along to students and younger musicians around the world, and lends his fire to assorted artists across a broad musical spectrum.
http://www.funkyfredwesley.com/

Stanton Moore (Galactic)
Stanton Moore is a rock drummer raised in Metairie, Louisiana. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career (beginning with his 1998 debut All Kooked Out!) and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity. He also travels internationally to teach New Orleans drumming, writes a regular column for drumming magazines, and releases instructional books and videos.
http://www.stantonmoore.com/

and Bill Dickens & Mark Rechler

The Meters nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Dominic Massa

 

New Orleans funk music icons The Meters are among this year's nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and for the first time fans can vote online for who should make the final cut.

The nominees were announced Thursday morning and include singer/songwriter Randy Newman, who grew up in New Orleans and whose rendition of "Louisiana 1927" remains a classic, as well as Public Enemy, N.W.A., Donna Summer, Deep Purple, Albert King and the Marvelettes.

From now through Dec. 5 fans can cast votes for this year's Hall of Fame class.  The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2013 inductees, the Hall said.

"James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic all coasted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yet one of the true cornerstones of funk is still waiting for induction," says the Hall of Fame in its nomination.

"The Meters were not only the leading instrumental unit to emerge from the great musical gumbo of New Orleans, they were also one of the tightest and hardest-grooving ensembles R&B has ever seen."

Formed in 1965, the band included original members Art Neville (keyboards and vocals), Leo Nocentelli (guitar), George Porter Jr. (bass) and Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste (drums).  Later Cyril Neville joined the band on percussion and vocals.
In its nomination, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acknowledges the band's legendary status as house band for Hall of Famer Allen Toussaint's recording label, and then its own releases, including the classic "Cissy Strut."

They also became known for their session work with Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer and LaBelle and recordings with Dr. John (also a recent Hall of Fame inductee).
"With the explosion of hip-hop, the group became familiar to a new audience when its records were sampled countless times by the likes of Run-D.M.C., N.W.A., Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys," the Hall said.  "Meters songs have been covered by everyone from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Grateful Dead illustrating the far-reaching influence of these masters of funk."

If inducted, the Meters would join a long list of other New Orleans and Louisiana honorees: Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Lloyd Price, Earl Palmer, Dave Bartholomew, Mahalia Jackson, Professor Longhair and Jelly Roll Morton.  Just last year, legendary recording engineer Cosimo Matassa was also honored with a special Hall of Fame award.

Upcoming: Metermen @ BB King's

THE METERMEN

ZIGABOO MODELISTE
LEO NOCENTELLI
GEORGE PORTER JR.
With guest keyboardist PAGE McCONNELL (Phish)

November 1, 2012

Showtime @ 8:00PM
Doors Open @ 6:00PM

Tickets $40.00 in advance, $45.00 day of show

It's no stretch to say that The Meters singlehandedly defined New Orleans funk. Performing and recording their own music throughout the latter half of the '60s and into the '70s, this seminal group laid the foundation for what is now a ubiquitous genre, influencing countless funk musicians with their earthy, down-home style. Tracks like "Cissy Strut," "Look-Ka Py Py," "Sophisticated Sissy," and "Chicken Strut" are staples of the funk genre, and the band's work backing artists like Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, and even Paul McCartney is instantly recognizable. The Meters' sound also provided a jumping off point for much of the hip-hop of the '80s and '90s, with rap luminaries like LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Run DMC, Ice Cub, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and more sampling the band's tracks.

Formed in 1965, the original Meters lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, and bassist George Porter Jr. After a few months playing under the name Art Neville & The Sounds, the band was hired by famed producers Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn as the house band for their Sansu Enterprises label. The Meters did most of their backing work for this label. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing Top 40 instrumental hits on both Josie Records and Reprise Records well into the '70s. Although they never truly broke into the mainstream, by the middle of the decade, The Meters were a huge hit among the music intelligentsia.

The Meters broke up in 1977, and all of their members went on to find significant success elsewhere in the music business. Neville gained fame as part of The Neville Brothers, Modeliste toured with Ron Wood and Keith Richards, and both Nocentelli and Porter started new bands and became in-demand session players. In recent years, various iterations of the original Meters lineup have reconvened for numerous one-off shows, including full reunion performances in 2005 and 2011. Tonight at B.B. King Blues Club, Modeliste, Nocentelli, and Porter reunite as The Metermen and join forces with Phish keyboardist Page McConnell - a musical titan in his own right - for a historic two-night run.
Zigaboo Modeliste Website
Leo Nocentelli Website
George Porter Jr. Website
Page McConnell Website

Bonnaroo 2011 to feature reunited Meters backing Dr. John

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

The original Meters are slated to reunite for the first time in almost five years at the 10th anniversary Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee in June. The Meters will back Dr. John on a complete performance of his 1974 album “Desitively Bonnaroo,” from which the festival takes its name. The Meters were the studio band behind Dr. John on that original recording.

.

The Meters – keyboardist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste – have reunited only intermittently since they laid down the foundation for New Orleans funk in the late 1960s and ‘70s. The most recent reunion ended in 2006 with Neville, for one, expressing doubt that they would ever reform again.

“I didn’t think it would happen after the last escapade,” Nocentelli said of this latest reunion. “But something that’s worthwhile, we should be able to not throw it aside. If it’s still alive and you still feel it, learn from what you did. I’m looking forward to some longevity.”

The original Meters disbanded in 1979 amid business and personal turmoil; variations appeared sporadically. In 1989, Neville, Porter and Nocentelli hired drummer Russell Batiste Jr. and resurrected the Meters name. After Nocentelli's departure in 1994, they continued as the Funky Meters with former Neville Brothers guitarist Brian Stoltz.

The original Meters put aside their differences to reunite for a single show – and large paycheck -- in San Francisco in 2000. In 2005, they came together again to perform at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. That show went well, and was followed by other concerts. A new generation of music fans already knew their riffs and rhythms via jam band tributes and scores of samples on rap records. The reunited band played for much larger audiences and fees than the Funky Meters.

But by 2007, the reunion had run out of steam. When one bandmember couldn’t make himself available for a proposed gig at that year’s Bonnaroo, the reunion appeared to have run its course.

However, the principals of Superfly, the New Orleans-founded firm that co-produces Bonnaroo, were determined to land the Meters this year. During their run in the mid-2000s, the reunited Meters performed at other Superfly-produced festivals. Thus, the musicians were well-acquainted with how the Superfly principals operate, and vice versa. Superfly approached the four Meters individually with a proposal for the 2011 Bonnaroo.

“I’m pleased with the way they’re handling it,” Nocentelli said of Superfly. “On a business level, we’re not a group any more. To be a group, you have to think alike. We’re four businessmen with different opinions. You put that in a group context, it doesn’t work. The group thing comes when we’re on stage playing music.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t be dealt with. You have to deal with us on an individual basis. That’s the only way you can have any success.”

The 10th annual Bonnaroo is June 9 - 12. Most of the tens of thousands attendees camp on the 700-acre site in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles south of Nashville. The final Bonnaroo 2011 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.

Mardi Gras | 2.12-2.16 | New Orleans

c/o Jambase

By: B. Getz

Mardi Gras :: 02.12-02.16 | :: New Orleans, LA

Trombone Shorty :: Mardi Gras By Dino Perrucci

Descending on New Orleans five days after the Saints' enormous Super Bowl victory, we encountered a city boiling with elation. Despite the frigid temperatures, this city was as hot as ever, with deafening chants of "Who Dat?" reverberating night and day, bouncing off walls of venues, up and down parade routes, at dinner tables and tailgates. I have literally never seen a city so jacked up, and it was as infectious as 'twas intoxicating.

By day we walked various parade routes, first the Krewe of Morpheus and Krewe of Muses, enjoying the Cameltoe Steppers and Miss Karina's Bearded Oysters, amongst others. For most parades we rolled uptown to watch on St. Charles and Napoleon Streets, though Saturday we started in Lakeview, rolling with Krewe of Endymion and feting Saints owner/Grand Marshall Tom Benson and Head Coach Sean Payton like Crescent monarchs, with Trombone Shorty the Grand Marshall's personal guest.

Carnival is truly a cultural and family event. Generations of kin and friends of all races come together and celebrate in magnificent unity; the likes of which I have never seen before. The only moment I ever feared for my own safety was during the Krewe of Bacchus' parade when Drew Brees, Saints quarterback, Super Bowl MVP, and 2010's King Bacchus, turned the corner of St. Charles on a parade float. It was as if Touchdown Jesus had arrived, setting off complete pandemonium.

"WHO DAT! New Orleans is rolling! The City is alive!" cried Brandon Tarricone of Brotherhood of Groove.

As we thawed from the Morpheus/Muses parades Friday night, we strolled to Tipitina's Uptown for the first of four visits to the hallowed room. Thriving in this celebratory atmosphere, George Porter Jr., Leo Nocentelli, Ivan Neville and Raymond Weber (Dumpstaphunk) took the stage to cheers. Henry Butler was then led stage right to a thunderous ovation as the band took their spots, with Butler seated at a keyboard facing Ivan, who was buried beneath an array of keys. They immediately congratulated the Super Bowl Champions to more screaming decibels. Ivan and Leo repeated the salutations throughout the show, a harbinger of "Who Dats?" to come.

Henry Butler :: Mardi Gras/Tip's By Dino Perrucci

Weber and Porter's instant lockstep unveiled opener "Everything is Everything," a crawfish jamboree of distinct NOLA styles, their collaborative spirit evidenced immediately. "Everything" had everything, passing around the jam, with driving Weber funk and George laying down his patented, joyful, nasty bass runs. This song encapsulated their entire performance - equal parts jubilant NOLA sing-along and vicious, loose, powerful funk - serving songs that resonated with joy, pain and the road to redemption. "Cabbage Alley" was a joyful romp through the Professor Longhair classic, with Fess grinning "Hey Now Baby" from the top of the house he built.

Henry Butler asked if he could take us to church, and that he did, with glorious bright piano and charming verve. Butler was distinguished royalty, and that's amongst Porter, Leo, and Ivan, all stalwarts in their own right. The blind man stoked several raging Nocentelli screaming solos drenched in tubed-out distortion and Gibsonics. Porter and Weber responded with tight riddims and big wrap around fills swollen with laughter.

Ivan Neville's charged "Fortunate Son" oozed Bayou and sparked some fantastic interplay between Ivan and Porter, plus more ragin' Leo licks. This exhilaration was a theme for two full sets of huge smiles, jams and Crescent City spirit. "Talkin' 'Bout New Orleans" was just that - the pulse of a city ablaze. It's Carnival Time!

For three consecutive nights we stumbled out of Tip's and made our way down to the Blue Nile for the Backbeat Foundation's 4th Annual Mardi Gras Funkstravaganza, a series of Royal Family hosted hoedowns lasting well into the wee hours, in true Quarter style. New York and NOLA are sister cities, and the likes of Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno and Nigel Hall would make their presence known at this Lombardi Gras, and of course, be joined by their NOLA forefathers all weekend long.

Khris Royal, Kraz, Deitch, Hall :: Royal Family By Amanda Barry

Friday late night, Dr. Claw featured a malevolent conglomerate of Deitch, Kraz, Nigel, and locals Ian Neville on guitar and the inimitable Nick Daniels on bass and vocals. "God Made Me Funky" was an aggressive jolt of stutter-step bounce and friendly one-upmanship. A reading of R&B staple "Leave Me Alone" displayed soothing vocals from Hall and Daniels, while Kraz wailed away on a gold guitar emblazoned with the Saints' fleur de lis. A Daniels propelled cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" was a bludgeoning stomp of lead-bass, wailing Kraz, and sordid drumming; this colossal rendition most displayed the group's shared kinetic energy. Ivan Neville hustled down from Tip's to join the aural fracas, with Raymond Weber and Papa Mali checking it out from the crowd.

On Saturday, the Nigel Hall Band (featuring George Porter Jr.) was geared to a more R&B feel. Krasno played bass before George's arrival as Hall crooned with joie de vivre. A deep Rhodes take on James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" punctuated the early part of the set until Deitch commandeered the ship, directing Porter into murderous funk grooves. This was "Meters take Manhattan" on some crunk shit. Sheer delight shone on the faces of the elder statesman and boy wonder, as they played puppet-master to one another's nastiness amidst carnival sights and sounds.

Porter & Krasno by Dino Perrucci

In true "only in New Orleans" fashion, long after the band had left the stage there were still 25 or so fans hanging around the Nile. As Jill Scott's "Is it the Way" pumped through the PA, one by one the musicians returned to the stage, first Hall on bass with Krasno soon taking it from him. Hall shifted to keys as Deitch got behind the kit, and they moved from playing along to the record to some live improv. An elongated vamp morphed to a full-band version of Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," a boundless crunk-a-thon with seven different musicians rotating around the stage, including sax and keys maven Khris Royal, guitarist Andrew Block and local sax man Clarence "Trixzey" Slaughter. The half-hour workout was NOLA indulgence, almost a private show for the Royal Family Frenchman Street faithful.

Sunday evening at the Nile was billed as Eric Krasno & Chapter 2, the Soulive guitarist's red-hot side project; which this time featured Porter in the mix. Several cuts from Kraz's forthcoming solo album - "76," "Be Alright" and "Too Sweet" - joined stormy covers including a rare-groove styled rendition of The Beatles' "Get Back" and an aggressive take on Jimi's "Manic Depression."

Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers may have opened the 4th Annual Bacchus Blowout, but this was no warm-up act. Fellow Treme second-line prodigal son Ruffins absolutely owned this packed-to-the-gills room from jump. "How 'bout them New Or-lee-anz Saints!!" he greeted the roaring post-parade massive and led everyone into a jubilant "All Mardi Gras Day." The audience upped the ante, as the obligatory "Saints Come Marching In" gave way to a bedlam-inducing take on the omnipresent Saints anthem by local rapper K. Gates, "Black N Gold New Orleans," which was the theme song to the entire city - you couldn't go three blocks without hearing a brass band, car stereo or house party system blaring it. When Kermit and Co. dropped it, the frontman's lazy, gruff Treme drawl steeped in bliss, Tip's fucking exploded.

Kermit Ruffins :: Bacchus Blowout By Dino Perrucci

Ever the showman, after a few healthy pulls from a Bud Light and some humorous banter, Ruffins quickly reminded us that it was Valentine's Day as he delivered maybe The evening's finest performance, a surreal take on the Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets." The swanky love-fest gave way to an appearance by Corey "Boe Money" Henry, a run through The Roots' "U Got Me," Frankie Beverly and MAZE's "Joy and Pain" and more NOLA-fried second-line flavor.

After a lengthy changeover, the legendary Rebirth Brass Band delivered an enjoyable set of Crescent City ecstasy; cramped audience skanking and brass n' drums thumping along. "Boe Money," Derek Shezbie (trumpet) and Vincent Broussard (sax) led the troupe through an hour of bulbous brass anthems.

However, when headliner Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue took the stage just after 1 a.m., the energy levels in the room rose to even more raucous levels. Troy Andrews' meteoric rise from child trombone prodigy and member of Rebirth to feted second-liner and member of Lenny Kravitz's touring band to leading his own band is a true American dream. Hailing from the Treme, he has a long awaited album dropping soon and a reputation for superior showmanship. Leading a crack-band of childhood friends, including "Freaky" Pete Murano on guitar and Joey "In and Out" Peebles on drums, Shorty displayed a pomp 'n' verve that kept the room at full attention.

Andrews gave Kravitz a "le bon temps" lesson in crunkadelic rock with his reworking of The Guess Who's "American Woman," a pulsating banger with crunchy guitars and clobbering funk percussion. "Get Down" and "Orleans & Claiborne" were enigmatic doses of ridiculous second-line melodies and festive beats. "St. James Orleans Avenue" really took it to the Treme, and the new vibes took the crowd to "Backatown." He led the boys through a medley that mixed hometown rapper Mystikal, the Black Eyed Peas, Sly Stone and the Violent Femmes. Crooning for the ladies, Shorty channeled Al Green and Marvin Gaye, and blew surreal trumpet runs between patented trombone romps that mesmerized the cuties.

Robert Mercurio - Galactic Lundi Gras at Tip's by Bob Compton/CapturedLight.com

Galactic hosted two shows at Tipitina's Uptown, the first on Saturday and then Monday night's traditional Lundi Gras sunrise throw-down, each with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe supporting.

The first show saw a short set of primarily new material from KDTU, highlighted by an incredible collaboration ("Baker's Dozen") between Denson, KDTU guitarist (and birthday boy) Brian Jordan and Galactic. The headliners threw down a show heavy on material from their newest record, Ya-Ka-May (JamBase review).

The annual Lundi Gras show was one to remember. Beginning with a fierce 90-minute set of firing KDTU, Diesel & Co. delivered the seminal "Ruff, Tuff and Tumble" and sultry "The Answer," then closed with an ethereal version of "S&G," a funk barnstormer that segued into evocative R&B. Galactic then hijacked their stage back and proceeded to uncork a colossal, three-set performance that went until 7 a.m. Culling from their now-vast catalogue of genre-bending compositions, the funk got deep and dark as the crowd bathed in their patented crunk gumbo, with "Boe Money" ably assisting throughout. Mixing in covers from Rakim to Zeppelin and featuring cameos from John Gros, Denson, Trixzey Slaughter, Cyril Neville and more, this was a gluttonously N'awlinz rager. Stanton Moore's punishing drums stoked the patented swamp-funk rumble, and bassist Robert Mercurio, guitarist Jeff Raines and sax/harp man Ben Ellman channeled the "Who dat?" mayhem into feverish pitches. Staggering out of Tip's alongside the band, crew, staff and revelers bound for the 8 a.m. Zulu parade was a surreal experience, even for the Crescent City.

Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs by Jessica Dore

The musical portion of the Mardi Gras program is often overlooked by outsiders who see Carnival as a season of consumer excess with heaps of plastic beads, rivers of "Big Ass Beers" and boobs running the sleazy course of Bourbon Street. Beyond the celestial floats, bejeweled krewe members and mansion-lined avenues, a simpler Carnival culture flourishes in New Orleans' neighborhoods. Seeking some truer roots and humbler hometown carnival essence, we looked for those marching betwixt the pricey floats and royalty costumes, i.e. the public school marching bands that rounded the corner of St. Charles and Josephine with the Zulu Parade on Tuesday morning. New Orleans' uniformed youths marched beautifully through the route and it was clear this is ground zero, the place where the seeds of Jazz Fest, Jam Cruise and summer festivals are sewn. This is the path that the likes of Big Sam, Trombone Shorty and all the Rebirth Brass Band took during their school years in this city.

The spirit of New Orleans' carnival music is caught not with a $30 ticket to Tip's or Howlin' Wolf, but for free out in front Handa Wanda's bar room at 2nd and Dryades Streets on Mardi Gras Day. Tucked within Central City, this is the Mardi Gras of legends like Professor Longhair, James Booker and the Nevilles.

Post-Zulu, around 1 p.m., we went to check and pay respect to the Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs, strutting in their suits to drum circle beats with family, friends and plates of barbeque. This year, as they do each year, the Indians donned the fruits of each year's labor: Hand sewn suits and headdresses, some weighing more than fifty pounds with feathers, fabrics and intricate beadwork illustrations. There, in a crowd of mostly city locals, we enjoyed the peak of the day - some no-frills booty shaking among neighborhood royalty.

Additional reporting by Jessica Dore

In Pictures: Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Jam @ BB King's

by Greg Aiello

Mardi Gras Jam @ BB King's


George Porter Jr @ BB King's


Leo Nocentelli @ BB King's


Henry Butler @ BB King's


Adam Deitch @ BB King's


Eric Krasno @ BB King's


Tami Lynn @ BB King's

by Dino Perrucci Photography

George Porter Jr. - BB King's, NYC 2/16/10



George Porter Jr. & Eric Krasno - BB King's, NYC 2/16/10


Leo Nocentelli & George Porter Jr. - BB King's, NYC 2/16/10


Adam Deitch - BB King's, NYC 2/16/10


Henry Butler - BB King's, NYC 2/16/10

Upcoming: Fat Tuesday Funk Jam feat. George Porter, Jr., Henry Butler & Leo Nocenelli @ BB King's

50% Off Tix: Fat Tuesday Funk Jam feat. Henry Butler, Leo Nocentelli & George Porter, Jr.

FAT TUESDAY / FEBRUARY 16 / BB KING'S

Discounts available HERE (code "mania) and/or HERE.

Known throughout the music industry as the "funkiest, fast-fingered" guitarist there is, a musician who can control your mind, body and soul with his experience, superior talent, musical mastery and inimitable style, he is Leo Nocentelli. Leo is the lead guitarist, composer, innovator and the musical originator of the syncopated funk-style that won international acclaim for him and the band known as the "Pioneers of Funk", The Meters.

George Porter Jr.'s career has spanned nearly thirty years working with artists as diverse as Robbie Robertson and Earl King. 1965 began a collaboration that has lasted to this day with the Legendary Meters, considered by many, the best Rock-Fusion Band in the world.

Combining the percussive jazz piano playing of McCoy Tyner and the New Orleans style playing of Professor Longhair through his classically trained wizardry, Henry Butler continues to craft a sound uniquely his own. A rich amalgam of jazz, Caribbean, classical, pop, blues and R&B influences, his music is as excitingly eclectic as that of his New Orleans birthplace.

Adam Deitch is best known as the drummer of the John Scofield Band. He has played with the Average White Band and Lettuce. His drumming style is very funk oriented, and he plays some very unusual fills. In John Scofield's words, "He's got that jazz mentality and a 'take no prisoners' type of creativity - all combined with the groove of death."

In Pictures: Mardi Gras NYC parties @ Le Poisson Rouge & BB King's

Photos by Dino Perrucci


Big Sam Williams - Le Poisson Rouge, NYC 2/21/09

More from last night:


Anders Osborne - Le Poisson Rouge, NYC 2/21/09


Anders Osborne - Le Poisson Rouge, NYC 2/21/09


Anders Osborne - Le Poisson Rouge, NYC 2/21/09


Trombone Shorty & Leo Nocentelli - BB King's, NYC 2/21/09

Mardi Gras in NYC (option 2): Mardi Gras Jam feat. Leo Nocentelli, Trombone Shorty, Donald Harrison & Andy Hess @ BB King's

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2009

MARDI GRAS JAM Featuring: LEO NOCENTELLI (THE METERS) TROMBONE SHORTY DONALD HARRISON ANDY HESS (GOVT MULE) + Sp. Guests TBA

Known throughout the music industry as the "funkiest, fast-fingered" guitarist there is, a musician who can control your mind, body and soul with his experience, superior talent, musical mastery and inimitable style, he is LEO NOCENTELLI. Leo is the lead guitarist, composer, innovator and the musical originator of the syncopated funk-style that won international acclaim for him and the band known as the "Pioneers of Funk", The Meters.

Hailing from Tremé, the most musical neighborhood in the most musical city – New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews has made the leap from child prodigy to Professional Master Musician. In 2005, Andrews was tapped by Lenny Kravitz to be a featured member of his horn section for a world tour.

Donald Harrison is being called one of the most important musicians of the new millennium by CBS Sunday Morning. A list of his accomplishments shows that he has developed into a musical category unto himself. In the classic jazz genre, he is the originator of the Nouveau Swing style which merges acoustic swing with modern R&B, second-line, hip-hop, (New Orleans African American roots culture), and reggae rhythms.

Andy Hess is an American bassist and former member of Gov't Mule, having joined the band in 2003. Previously, he was The Black Crowes' bassist from February 2001 until their hiatus early the following year. He has also played in Joan Osborne's band and done session work for artists including David Byrne and Tina Turner.

NolaFunk Lagniappe

Burning Wood's: Snooks

Prostate cancer and a loss of blood during a recent hospital stay have slowed down the great New Orleans legend, Snooks Eaglin. I've read that he is making a peaceful recovery, but I can't be sure. With the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival approaching, I start to think about these great musicians with even more enthusiasm than usual.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

Here's Snooks and a very dapper George Porter Jr. on bass, (not sure who the drummer is) from a late 80s performance at NYC's Lone Star Roadhouse. I love the video, but I think I like the commentary below the video even more.

see also: Thinking about Snooks



Dumpstaphunk: Massive Tour

"Dumpstaphunk is the best funk band from New Orleans right now." -New York Times

Dumpstaphunk

Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk will spend the rest of the year (and many more to come) doing what they do best - making music, both on the stage and in the studio. The band (Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, Raymond Weber, Nick Daniels, and Ian Neville) will spend February celebrating Mardi Gras on the road, bringing their unique monster of a groove to familiar haunts like The Independent in San Francisco and The Bottling Company in Hattiesburg as well as their first trips to Reno and Houston. This first leg of the tour, which also includes a rare appearance at The Mint in Los Angeles, will culminate with a hometown pre-Mardi Gras show at New Orleans' Howlin' Wolf.

After putting the finishing touches on their first full-length record which will be released later this year, Dumpstaphunk will hit the road again for another month including shows at Martyr's Chicago, the band's debut performance in Philadelphia, and a return to The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, a city where they recently delivered a standout performance in front of 7200 music lovers as part of Warren Haynes' 20th Annual Christmas Jam. Anchoring this run will be two special Post-Allman Brothers Band shows at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.

Dr. John's "Pine Top Boogie"






Best of the Beat Awards included a surprise piano giveaway

Those who left Saturday's Best of the Beat Awards immediately following the award ceremony missed an entertaining and eclectic night of New Orleans music -- and a surprise piano giveaway.

VIEW SLIDESHOW HERE

Empire State Building - Purple Green and Gold for Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras 2009

Louisiana Cuisine: Jacques Imo's feeds Papa Grows Funk @ Maple Leaf

Displaced Soul Rebels Help Jazz Up The Big Easy

Three years later, with homes still shuttered in New Orleans and having determined that Houston is economically better-suited for their families, Leblanc and Hubbard continue their ritual: the 350-mile desert drive every Thursday morning, Hubbard’s shave and neighborhood gossip session with the old hometown barber down in the Seventh Ward and a quick car nap before heating up Le Bon Temps till 3 a.m. Over a standard weekend, the Rebels will then play gigs at Café Brasil, the Dragon’s Den, a private event and maybe a street parade. When Sunday morning arrives, Leblanc offers gratitude at St. Maria Goretti Church, then journeys with Hubbard back to Houston, where they have four days of family time before the road calls again.

New Wynton Marsalis album “He and She” to be released in March



Irvin Mayfield Leads New Orleans Jazz Orchestra



New music from Leo Nocentelli



NPR:Danza Quartet Welcomes 2009, Bayou Style

New Year's Eve in New Orleans was an affair to remember. The moon waxed over the Crescent City like a sliver over the Mississippi River, a cradle in the sky over the cradle of jazz. The lighted entrance of Louis Armstrong Park was shining on Rampart Street for the first time since Hurricane Katrina dimmed the neighborhood, and historic Congo Square was just a heartbeat away from us.