Leo Nocentelli, former Meters guitarist, keeps his music alive
The pioneering funk band The Meters is one of those groups that most people know, even if they don't realize it.
The group's signature beats and syncopated guitar sound have been used in countless movie soundtracks and hip-hop samples, keeping The Meters relevant more than 30 years after the band's breakup.
“It's really something,” said Leo Nocentelli, the group's guitarist and primary songwriter. “Of course, I had no clue this would happen when I wrote those songs. I was just doing what I thought would be good music. But I still hear that stuff all the time now, especially in hip hop. I like it, actually. It's like we never left.”
Formed in New Orleans in the mid-1960s, The Meters released a number of songs — “Cissy Strut” and “Look-Ka Py Py” among them — that have become funk classics, and in the process helped define the funk sound in America. Tight grooves, free keyboard riffing and the melodic tandem of guitar and bass were cornerstone elements of The Meters' approach.
Nocentelli will perform songs from throughout The Meters' catalog, along with some new material, during a show on Friday, June 24, in Rosemont. The show is billed as “The Meters Experience,” and his band will include Bill “The Buddha” Dickens on bass, Chris “Hambone” Cameron on keyboards and Jamal Batiste on drums.
“I still love getting up there and doing my thing,” Nocentelli said. “I know I'm blessed to be able to keep doing it, to keep contributing musically, you know?”
The Meters' early recordings, while not resulting in stratospheric commercial success for the band, made them highly sought-after session musicians within the industry. The band worked with such notables as Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Paul McCartney. The Meters appeared on “Saturday Night Live” in 1977, during that show's second season.
The band broke up shortly thereafter, with the members going on to other projects. Nocentelli continued to write music and play guitar, expanding his style to include rock, jazz and other elements. But he never lost his love for that scorching, sweaty funk sound he made famous.
“Sometimes I worry that funk is getting lost out there,” he said. “I mean, I know hip-hop still uses it, but the pure funk sound, you don't seem to hear it as much these days.”
The original members of The Meters — Nocentelli, keyboardist/vocalist Art Neville, drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste and bassist George Porter Jr. — have come together for reunion shows from time to time. Nocentelli said he enjoys playing with his own band, though.
“I've got some great guys playing with me now, and we really get into it,” he said. “We'll do the funk stuff, but I like to go off in new directions too, give people something new to hear.” Nocentelli chuckles here. “I hope Chicago is ready for us. It's going to be a great time.”
The Meters Experience, featuring Leo Nocentelli
The Meters Experience, featuring Leo Nocentelli
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 24
Where: Montrose Room, inside the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare hotel, 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont
Tickets: $20; (847) 544-5300 or montroseroom.com