The Neville Brothers

Wikipedia:

The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

History

The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (born 1937), Charles (b. 1938), Aaron (b. 1941), and Cyril (b. 1948) got together to take part in the recording session of The Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras Indian group led by their uncle Big Chief Jolly.

Art Neville reached out to Paul Howrilla (personal manager for Dr. John) and told him that he always wanted to do something with his brothers. Paul Howrilla created Neville Productions, Inc., serving as President and CEO with all four Neville brothers as Members of the Board. The newly formed business covered the entire Neville family, designed to protect them from the music business abuse they had previously endured in their individual careers.

This experience led them to form the group the following year. Their debut album was released from Capitol Records in 1978.

The Neville Brothers were featured as stellar musicians from New Orleans, on the Southern Stars poster created by Dianna Chenevert to help promote them and historically document their contribution to the music industry. On October 12, 1983 USA Today reporter Miles White highlighted the Nevilles as being included on the poster, which provided them with more nationwide attention. The band is referred to in the 1987 movie The Big Easy, which was partially filmed at Chenevert's office building located at 500 Valence Street, and the Nevilles' music was played on the soundtrack.

Their version of "Bird on a Wire" was played over the opening and closing credits of the 1990 film, Bird on a Wire.

In 1988, the group released Uptown from EMI 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 best pop instrumental performance of the Grammy Awards. 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. Also in 1990, they appeared on the bill at that year's Glastonbury Festival.

Due to the health problems of Art Neville, the band kept low profile in the late 1990s onto the early 2000s. However, they made a comeback in 2004 with the album, Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life, from Back Porch Records, their first newly recorded effort in five years.

All brothers except Charles, who lived in Massachusetts, had been living in New Orleans; but following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Cyril and Aaron moved out of the city. 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, at the closing spot which had been reserved for them for years.

Ivan Neville, Aaron's son (keyboards) has infrequently played with the band in recent years.