The Neville Brothers

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The Neville Brothers
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres R&B, soul, funk
Years active1976–2012, 2015
Labels Capitol, Black Top, A&M, EMI, Columbia, Back Porch
Past members
Website nevilles.com

The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Contents

History

The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1941), and Cyril (b. 1948) came together to take part in the recording session of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras Indian group led by the Nevilles' uncle, George Landry ("Big Chief Jolly"). [1]

Their debut album The Neville Brothers was released in 1978 on Capitol Records. [2]

In 1987, the group released Uptown on the EMI label, featuring guests including Branford Marsalis, Keith Richards, and Carlos Santana. The following year saw the release of Yellow Moon from A&M Records produced by Daniel Lanois. The track "Healing Chant" from that album won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1990 Grammy ceremony. [3]

In 1990, the Neville Brothers contributed "In the Still of the Night" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Blue produced by the Red Hot Organization. [4]

Also in 1990, they appeared on the bill at that year's Glastonbury Festival. [5] Due to Art Neville devoting more time to his other act, The Meters, the band kept a low profile in the late 1990s onto the early 2000s. They made a comeback in 2004, however, with the album, Walkin' in the Shadow of Life, on Back Porch Records, their first newly recorded effort in five years. [6]

All brothers except Charles, a Massachusetts resident, had been living in New Orleans, but following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Cyril and Aaron moved out of the city. Aaron moved to Austin briefly at the invitation on his friend, the late blues club impresario, Clifford Antone. They had not been performing in New Orleans since Katrina hit the city; however, they finally returned to perform there at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2008, being given the closing spot which had been reserved for them for years. [7] [8]

Infrequently, Aaron's son Ivan Neville (keyboards) and Art's son Ian Neville (electric guitar), both of the band Dumpstaphunk, have played with the Neville Brothers.

The Neville Brothers appear in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky! , which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz. [9] In the film, they perform "Fire on the Bayou" with guests Ivan and Ian Neville. [10]

The group formally disbanded in 2012 but reunited in 2015 for a farewell concert in New Orleans. [11] Charles Neville died of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 2018, at the age of 79. [12] Art Neville died on July 22, 2019, at the age of 81. A cause of death was not provided. [13]

Discography

Studio albums

YearTitleLabelPeak chart positions
US
[14]
NZ
[15]
UK
[16]
1978The Neville BrothersCapitol
1981 Fiyo on the Bayou A&M166
1987 Uptown EMI155
1989 Yellow Moon A&M6616
1990 Brother's Keeper 60435
1992 Family Groove 10311
1996 Mitakuye Oyasin Oyasin/All My Relations
1999Valence StreetColumbia
2004Walkin' in the Shadow of LifeBack Porch/EMI
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Live albums

Compilation albums

Singles

YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum
US R&B
[14]
AUS
[17]
NZ
[15]
NLD
GER
[18]
IRE UK
[16]
1978"Washable Ink / Speed of Light"The Neville Brothers
1979"Sweet Honey Dripper / Dance Your Blues Away"Non-album single
1981"Sitting In Limbo / Brother John / Iko Iko"Fiyo on the Bayou
1987"Whatever It Takes"Uptown
1989"Sister Rosa"7523Yellow Moon
"Yellow Moon"21
"With God on Our Side"532647
1990"A Change Is Gonna Come"
"Bird on a Wire"53572Brother's Keeper
"River of Life"
"Fearless"40
1991"Sons and Daughters"
"Drift Away"19Treacherous Too! A History of the Neville Brothers
1992"Fly Like an Eagle"44866Family Groove
"One More Day"29
"On the Other Side of Paradise"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

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References

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  2. The Neville Brothers (1978). The Neville Brothers (LP). Hollywood, CA: Capitol. OCLC   5004448. ST-11865.
  3. "32nd Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  4. Various artists (1990). Red Hot & Blue (CD). Hollywood, CA: Chrysalis. OCLC   947953022. F2 21799.
  5. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 471. CN 5585.
  6. "Walkin' in the Shadow of Life - Neville Brothers | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  7. "Neville Bros. return to New Orleans jazz festival". Reuters. November 17, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. "The Neville Brothers' triumphant Jazzfest return". nola.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  9. "IAJE What's Going On". Jazz Education Journal. 37 (5). Manhattan, Kansas: International Association of Jazz Educators: 87. April 2005. ISSN   1540-2886. ProQuest   1370090.
  10. Make It Funky! (DVD). Culver City, California: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005. ISBN   9781404991583. OCLC   61207781. 11952.
  11. Spera, Keith (May 3, 2015). "Neville Brothers farewell concert was both celebratory and confounding". Nola.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  12. Spera, Keith (April 26, 2018). "New Orleans legend Charles Neville, saxophonist for the Neville Brothers, dies at 79". The New Orleans Advocate. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018.
  13. "Art Neville, New Orleans funk musician, dead at 81 — CNN". Apple.news.
  14. 1 2 "Neville Brothers - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Discography The Neville Brothers". charts.org.nz. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "The Official Charts Company - The Neville Brothers". Official Charts Company. April 6, 2014.
  17. "The Neville Brothers - Australian Charts". Australiancharts.com. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  18. "The Neville Brothers - German Chart". charts.de. Retrieved April 6, 2014.