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 (born June 15, 1946) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the famous funk band, The Meters. Leo helped write many classic funk songs like "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Pocky A-Way."
Besides playing in The Meters, he also worked as a "session musician." This means he played guitar for many other famous artists. Some of these artists include Dr. John, Robert Palmer, and Etta James. Leo Nocentelli received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of The Meters.
Contents
Leo's Musical Journey
Growing Up and Learning Music
Leo Nocentelli grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father encouraged him to get into music. Leo started playing the ukulele when he was very young. By age twelve, he began playing the guitar. He loved jazz music and was inspired by great jazz guitarists like Charlie Christian.
When he was just thirteen, Leo had his first professional music job. By age fourteen, he was already playing with famous musicians like Otis Redding. He played many different styles of music, including jazz, Dixieland, rhythm and blues, and rock. He joined a band called The Hawketts and became known as a talented guitarist. When he was seventeen, he even played on recordings for Motown groups like The Supremes and The Temptations.
Joining The Meters
In 1964, Leo served in the army for two years. During his time off, he still found time to play music in New Orleans. After the army, he joined a new band called Art Neville and the Neville Sounds. By 1968, this band became a four-member group. It included Leo Nocentelli, Art Neville, George Porter, and Ziggy Modeliste.
This band had a very free and creative style. Each instrument could play its own unique part. They played dance music at a club six nights a week. On Sundays, Leo and his bandmates would play jazz. Leo said his bandmates taught him a lot.
The Meters' Music and Legacy
The band soon released two songs as The Meters: "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut." Leo Nocentelli wrote both of these songs. "Cissy Strut" became very popular. This success 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 the band. He wrote original funk songs like "People Say" and "Hey Pocky A-Way." The band often made up parts of their songs as they played. Even though The Meters were well-known in the music world, they didn't have huge commercial success. This, along with other reasons, led to the band breaking up in the late 1970s.
Working with Other Artists
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Leo Nocentelli wrote songs and played guitar for many other artists. He worked in famous New Orleans studios. He learned a lot from songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint. Leo played with a wide range of musicians, including Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Albert King, Etta James, and Joe Cocker.
In 1971, Leo recorded his own solo album called Another Side. He made this album when The Meters had briefly split up. But when The Meters signed a new record deal, he put his solo project aside. This album was finally released many years later, in 2021.
Later Years and Reunions
In the early 1980s, Leo toured with Jimmy Buffett. He moved to Los Angeles in 1982. He kept playing music for other artists and performed often with his former bandmate George Porter. He also stayed in touch with Ziggy Modeliste. They played together in different groups.
In 1989, Leo, George, and Ziggy invited 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 version of the band called The Funky Meters. Leo played with this group until 1993.
Leo continued to perform with other Meters-inspired bands. 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. When he was a teenager, he would listen to jazz records and try to play like the guitarists he heard. He loved jazz, but to be a professional musician, he had to be good at many different types of music.
In the 1960s and 1970s, New Orleans music changed from jazz to rhythm and blues, and then to funk. Leo's band, The Meters, were very creative and helped define the sound of New Orleans funk. Their early songs often started with improvisation, meaning they made up parts as they played.
Leo believes that different music styles can be mixed together. He says that in funk music, and when playing rhythm guitar, you have to listen carefully and react to what you hear. He feels this is a special skill that can't really be taught. Besides playing live and recording, Leo's songwriting was also a very important part of his musical contributions.
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 solo album he wrote in 1971 but wasn't released until 2021.
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
- Changes (MCA, 1980) with Etta James
- Fiyo on the Bayou (A&M, 1981) with The Neville Brothers
- Winner in You (MCA, 1986) with Patti LaBelle
- Stickin' to My Guns (Island, 1990) with Etta James
- 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
- 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'
- 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
Instructional videos
- The Secrets of Funk: Using it and Fusing it ! (2003) – This is a DVD where Leo teaches about funk music.
