New Orleans Royalty Cyril Neville was my guest recently on Gumbo Kitchen. The percussionist and vocalist was born in New Orleans in 1948, best known as the youngest member of the legendary Neville Brothers. Nicknamed “The Uptown Ruler,” Neville blends funk, soul, R&B and traditional New Orleans rhythms. He has also performed with the funk band The Meters, he was a member of The Meters on percussion and vocals for quite a while. He has released great solo albums, carry the distinctive sound of New Orleans around the world.
That’s what Cyril does. He has a brand new album out called Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone. I’ve had the pleasure of having Cyril Neville in the Gumbo Kitchen once or twice in the past eight years. I have this great photo of Cyril Neville and I in New Orleans, we were hanging out back when people took pictures with actual cameras. When I went to print out the picture, it looked like I had horns coming out of my head! It’s a fluke picture, you can never recreate it so it is a true thrill to have Cyril Neville in the Gumbo Kitchen!
Ronnie Littlejohn: You’re not only a Neville Brother, you’re also a Meter, a Wild Tchoupitoula and a voice of the Wetland All-Stars.
Cyril Neville: And the Gladiators. That was David Batiste and the Gladiators, that’s the first band I got with after Art Noel and the Noel Sounds which was actually the guys who became The Meters.
RLJ: I saw you at the Saints half-time show the other day, that was just magical. What an anniversary that was!
CN: Yeah, Trombone Shorty pulled me into that one. He reminded me that the first time he was ever at a half-time show was when the Neville Brothers did it and I invited him on stage to perform with us. So everything is coming full circle now and it turned out to be the highlight of the evening!
RLJ: It was! I was hoping they [The New Orleans Saints] were going to win that game. But congratulations Cyril on the new record, Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone. I know you always surround yourself with the best musicians, so who is on the album with you?
CN: Actually, this record was produced by Shamarr Allen, he’s got a band called The Underdawgs and he is, in my opinion, one of the premier trumpet players in New Orleans. I was used to do things a certain way and he started bringing in these new ideas and I was like ‘Hold on, I don’t know if this fits me.’ And he said, ‘Just trust me Unc,’ and as you can see, this record is one of the best albums I’ve ever done.
I asked Kermit Ruffins to do a duet with me and I have my friend and brother of over 65 years Brother Leo Nocentelli playing on “Poppa Wa Ditty.” My nephew Ivan, whose really my little brother in reality, he’s on a song called “Lemonade,” which we played at a local jail on Thanksgiving morning. When I looked around the room, I saw a lot of young people, especially young women. It just popped in my head to tell them that you might be down and out but you are the master of your destiny and the captain of your soul. This is temporary, that thought kept rolling around in my head and it wound up becoming that song.
RLJ: When life gives you lemons….
CN: Make lemonade.
Cyril Neville’s Don’t Wait Til I’m Gone is out now wherever music is sold. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.