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| Home > Reviews > Neville Brothers at Boulder Chautauqua 6/29/05 |
| Neville Brothers at Boulder Chautauqua 6/29/05 | | Date Created: Jun 30, 2005, 12:09 AM |
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The Neville Brothers have been around so long one would think they've outgrown their usefullness like, say, REM. They formed in 1977 but their musical experience goes much further back. They might even be old enough to have sons in the band. (Actually Aaron's son, Ivan, was in Keith Richards' X-pensive Winos band and has a solo album).
Well, they ain't the Doobie Brothers, BoDeans, or the Ramones who made up their last name. Four of them are actually brothers: Aaron, Cyril, Arthur, and Charles. They also have an uncle, George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry who was in The Wild Tchoupitoulas. So of course they played an updated version of "Big Chief" tonight.
The Neville Brothers are really a soul band with a heavy New Orleans influence. Kind of like Los Lobos who are a rock band with a heavy latino influence. Of the two, I'd take Los Lobos, but the Nevilles can still do that funky soul-stirrin' New Orleans gumbo. In fact, tonight they had to grind through a fair amount of it in order to get up to speed. Eventually, Aaron did a solo (one of five) and they kicked into higher gear.
The show was a good mix of old and new with the requisite Aaron Neville solos including "Amazing Grace". They did their signature "Yellow Moon" (from their best CD if you're looking for one). There was an update of "Ball of Confusion" from their most recent CD, Walkin' In The Shadow of Life, one reggae song, "One Love", and at least one funk number, "Can't Stop the Funk", from their latest also.
There is a Neville Brothers Greatest Hits CD if you want a mix like they played tonight.
As a performance on a beautiful Wednesday evening at Boulder's historic Chautauqua, it seemed rather uninspired in spite of Aaron's angelic voice which someone sitting next to me said reminded her of Johnny Mathis. The Nevilles seemed most inspired when they were done playing an hour and 45 minutes. Still they are great musicians and it's good that they can stick together and keep on keepin' on.
And the really big question: will Aaron Neville ever get that mole removed from above his right eye...
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