Leo Nocentelli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leo Nocentelli
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Nocentelli in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 15, 1946 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | Late 1950s–present |
Leo Nocentelli was born on June 15, 1946. He is an American musician and songwriter. He is most famous for being a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band The Meters. Leo wrote many classic funk songs like "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Pocky A-Way".
He also worked as a studio musician, playing guitar for many famous artists. These include Dr. John, Robert Palmer, and Etta James. As part of The Meters, he received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Contents
Leo's Early Life and Music
Leo Nocentelli grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father encouraged him to play music. He started with the ukulele when he was very young. By age twelve, he began playing the guitar.
He loved jazz music and was inspired by famous jazz guitarists. When he was just thirteen, he had his first professional music job. By age fourteen, he was playing with big stars like Otis Redding. He played many styles, including jazz, Dixieland, rhythm and blues, and rock.
Joining the Hawketts
Leo joined a band called The Hawketts. He became known as a very talented guitarist. When he was seventeen, he played guitar for famous Motown groups. These included The Supremes, The Temptations, and The Spinners.
Serving in the Army
In 1964, Leo joined the army and served for two years. Even during his time off, he still played music in New Orleans. After his service, he joined a new band called Art Neville and the Neville Sounds.
The Meters: A Funk Legend
By 1968, Art Neville's band became a four-member group. It included Leo Nocentelli, Art Neville, George Porter, and Ziggy Modeliste. This band had a very unique and flexible style. Each musician could play freely.
The band played rhythm and blues dance music six nights a week. On Sundays, Leo, George, and Ziggy played jazz. Leo said his bandmates taught him the most. He called this time the "learning phase" of his career.
Hit Songs and Albums
The band started releasing songs as The Meters. Their first hits were "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut". Leo Nocentelli wrote both of these songs. The success of "Cissy Strut" helped The Meters start their recording career.
From 1969 to 1977, The Meters released eight studio albums. Leo was one of the main songwriters for these albums. He wrote famous funk songs like "People Say" and "Hey Pocky A-Way." The band often made up parts of their songs as they played. Even though they were famous in the music world, they didn't have huge commercial success. The band eventually broke up in the late 1970s.
Leo's Work as a Session Musician
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Leo wrote songs and played guitar for many other artists. He worked in famous studios in New Orleans. He learned a lot from the songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint.
Leo played for many different musicians. Some of these include Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Albert King, Etta James, and Joe Cocker.
Solo Album: Another Side
In 1971, Leo recorded his own solo album called Another Side. He wrote the songs when The Meters had briefly split up. However, he put the album aside because The Meters signed a new record deal. This album was finally released many years later, in 2021.
Later Career and Reunions
In the early 1980s, Leo toured with Jimmy Buffett. In 1982, he moved to Los Angeles. He kept playing guitar for other artists and performed often with his former bandmate George Porter. They called themselves GEO/LEO.
Leo also stayed in touch with Ziggy Modeliste. They played together in different groups. They even released a live album called Nocentelli: Live in San Francisco.
The Meters Reunite
In 1989, Leo and George invited Ziggy and Art Neville to join them on stage. This surprise performance was the first time all the original Meters played together again. That same year, Leo, Art, and George formed a new band called The Funky Meters. They had a new drummer, Russell Batiste. Leo played with this group until 1993.
Leo moved back to New Orleans for a short time in the early 1990s. He returned to Los Angeles in 1992. He continued to play with groups inspired by The Meters. These included The Meter Men and The Meters Experience.
Guitars and Awards
Early in his career, Leo used a Gibson ES-175 guitar. In the mid-1970s, he switched to a Fender Starcaster. Around 2001, he started using a Gibson ES-335.
Leo has performed in several reunions with the original members of The Meters. He moved back to New Orleans in 2015 and still performs today. In 2018, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of The Meters.
Leo's Unique Style
Leo Nocentelli taught himself how to play guitar. As a teenager, he learned by listening to jazz guitarists on records. He loved jazz, but he also learned to play many other types of music to be a professional musician.
In the 1960s and 1970s, New Orleans music changed from jazz to rhythm and blues and funk. Leo's band, The Meters, were very creative. They helped create the sound of New Orleans funk. Their early songs were often made up as they played.
Leo believes that different music styles can mix together. He says that in funk music, you have to listen and react to what you hear. He believes this is a skill that cannot be taught. Besides playing live and in the studio, Leo also wrote many important songs.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Nocentelli: Live in San Francisco (DJM, 1997)
- Rhythm & Rhymes Part 1 (TLB, 2009)
- Another Side (Light in the Attic, 2021) – This was a lost solo album written in 1971 and released much later.
Albums with Other Artists
Leo Nocentelli played on many albums with other musicians. Here are some of them:
- In the Right Place (Atco, 1973) with Dr. John
- Nightbirds (Epic, 1974) with Labelle
- Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley (Island, 1974) with Robert Palmer
- Desitively Bonnaroo (Atco, 1974) with Dr. John
- Keep On Lovin' You (United Artists, 1975) with Z. Z. Hill
- Phoenix (Epic, 1975) with Labelle
- The Wild Tchoupitoulas (Mango, 1976) with The Wild Tchoupitoulas
- Patti LaBelle (Epic, 1977) with Patti LaBelle
- New Orleans Heat (Tomato, 1978) with Albert King
- Peaceful (Marina, 1978) with Al Johnson
- Tasty (Epic, 1978) with Patti LaBelle
- Changes (MCA, 1980) with Etta James
- Fiyo on the Bayou (A&M, 1981) with The Neville Brothers
- On My Way (Atlantic, 1982) with Gwen McCrae
- Experiment in White (Atlantic, 1982) with Janis Siegel
- On the Line (RCA, 1983) with Michael Wycoff
- Let My People Go (Quest, 1985) with The Winans
- Winner in You (MCA, 1986) with Patti LaBelle
- Tenderness (American Clave, 1990) with Kip Hanrahan
- Stickin' to My Guns (Island, 1990) with Etta James
- Victory Mixture (Orleans, 1990) with Willy DeVille
- Brother's Keeper (A&M, 1990) with The Neville Brothers
- Storyville (Geffen, 1991) with Robbie Robertson
- Solace (Arista, 1991) with Sarah McLachlan
- Us (Geffen, 1992) with Peter Gabriel
- Southern Exposure (Jive, 1993) with Maceo Parker
- There's Room for Us All (Black Top, 1993) with Terrance Simien
- Urban Blues Re: Newell (Sony Plain, 1995) with King Biscuit Boy
- Connected (NYNO, 1996) with Allen Toussaint
- Rock and Roll Doctor: Lowell George Tribute (CMC, 1997) with various artists
- Life, Love & the Blues (Private Music, 1998) with Etta James
- Matriarch of the Blues (Private Music, 2000) with Etta James
- Big Wide Grin (Sony, 2001) with Keb' Mo'
- Sing Me Back Home (Sony BMG, 2006) with New Orleans Social Club
- Maestro (Heads Up, 2008) with Taj Mahal
- The Dreamer (Verve, 2011) with Etta James
- Unlock Your Mind (Rounder, 2012) with The Soul Rebels
- Parking Lot Symphony (Blue Note, 2017) with Trombone Shorty
- Past Present, Future from The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown 'Volume 2' (Getdown Entertainment, 2018)
- All Together Now from The Big Ol' Nasty Getdown 'RepurposE Purpose - Volume 1' (Getdown Entertainment, 2024)
Instructional Videos
- The Secrets of Funk: Using it and Fusing it ! (2003) – This is a DVD that teaches about funk music.
