That Big Easy Good Time Sound

New Orleans funk isn’t James Brown or George Clinton. N’awlins funk is The Neville Brothers, Wild Magnolias and The Meters. It’s less gimmicky and more textured, layers of percussion and counter-rhythms, the bass still out front and leading the charge but doing so in a more refined fashion. The brass-Jazz history of New Orleans plays a huge role, horns played with a graceful and subtle nuance as opposed to serving as musical exclamation points. The Cajun/Zydeco influence is always cooked into the stew one way or another, making it sound more like World music than R&B or Soul. N’awlins funk is World music, it’s bayou, gators and crawfish on a picnic table. Its’s brass bands marching down the street as part of a funeral procession. It’s funk fit for the swampiest of circumstances and nobody does it better than The Neville Brothers.

Aaron Neville, he of the bulging biceps and fiery falsetto, has achieved a small degree of mainstream success, including a few hit duets with Linda Ronstadt. However, for the most part the music of The Neville Brothers (TNB) remains a well-hidden secret for New Orleans natives and funk aficionados. The Neville Brothers became a musical reality in 1976 when four brothers, Art, Charles, Aaron and Cyril decided to take the music of their childhood, the music of their hometown New Orleans and put a modern twist on the city’s timeless sonic legacy. Known for blistering live shows, funk jams stretching into the wee hours, TNB have become darlings of the city’s legendary Jazz Fest and a musical force to be reckoned with.

Let’s just jump right into the live stuff. “Live At Tipitina’s (1982)” is a solid hour and a half of Neville gold. The recording quality is among the best you’ll find when it comes to live TNB and the playing is from a time when the band was still young and hungry. The set finds the brothers bouncing effortlessly between deep-soul funk promenades and the softer, gentler stylings Aaron has become known for. Tipitina’s is homecourt for these gentlemen and the playing has the little extra something you only get in front of a hometown crowd. “Tell It Like It is” finds Aaron stretching his vocals up and down the scales, straining for the emotional highs and sliding right back down to commiserate with us earth-bound listeners. “Big Chief” taps into the native N’awlins spirit, a Mardi-Gras party in a headdress. The drumming and bass are infectious throughout the live set, tight and grooving. TNB manage to sound like a full-on party even whey they slow it down, it’s just the nature of its music.

While the band’s live shows are the stuff of legend, memories waiting to be shared and a one-of-a-kind live music experience, TNB knew the way around the studio as well. “Fiyo on the Bayou” is considered the band’s highwater mark in terms of studio releases and for good reason. The grooves are monstrous, the playing ferocious. The record is short and sweet, eight songs clocking in at 36 minutes, but the grooves are deep and the music is infectious, a powerful statement in a small package. “Hey Pocky A-Way” is a pure funk party, dance music for the sweaty late nights. “Sweet Honey Dripper” and “Fire on the Bayou” (spelled different from the album title) continue the blistering energy but the album’s highlight remains when they slow it down a bit and cover Jimmy Cliff’s iconic “Sitting Here in Limbo.” The timeless melody takes on a slightly mysterious tilt when The Neville’s work it up, adding a refreshing dimension to a classic song.

In 1989 TNB released “Yellow Moon,” one of the best albums of the 80s. While it’s obvious the record was released when it was, it remains timeless because of just how well TNB do what they do. Not only is the musicianship on the album excellent, the flavors and moods varied, darting between classical flourishes and African percussion, mixing it up like they do down Louisiana way. Aaron’s lead vocals and playful Soul-scat stand out on “Yellow Moon,” propelling the album’s various themes onward, avoiding musical stagnation. The title cut is a Swamp-Samba, special hometown guests filling out the band’s sound, a subtle island sway played under jazz horns. It has a great mood and doesn’t sound like anything other than TNB.

But again, TNB made their name and earned their stripes on the stages of NOLA’s legendary Jazz and Heritage Festival. Both free shows in the park under the afternoon sun and late-night jam-fests with the stage crammed with local friends and guests, sweaty, foot-flashing dance parties with the musicians exhausting both the crowd and themselves. A recent addition to TNB catalog is the richly preserved “Authorized Bootleg: Neville Brothers (Live, Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, Feb, 27 1989).” The collection is a portable party in your pocket, the setlist crammed full of TNB classics: “Fire on The Bayou,” “Junk Man,” “Yellow Moon,” “Tell it Like it Is,” and pleasing smattering of instrumental jams and medleys. This set does a great job of highlighting the impressive musicianship of TNB and their live band circa ’89. Really, what TNB do best is good time music to be played with good time friends. TNB will be a perfect addition to your Summer playlists.

Records to Stream/Download:

The Neville Brothers: “Live At Tipitina’s (1982)”

The Neville Brothers: “Fiyo on the Bayou”

The Neville Brothers: “Yellow Moon”

The Neville Brothers: “Authorized Bootleg: Neville Brothers (Live Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, Feb 27 1989)