A ride on St. Charles Avenue trolley in New Orleans early in the morning may catch
in his favorite location practicing T'ai Chi. The
most known for his pursuit of Eastern spiritual knowledge is also the family's keeper of the horn. His brothers affectionately refer to him as "The Horn Man." His saxophone won him a Grammy in 1989 for his haunting rendition of "Healing Chant" on the
CD. But the instrument's history goes way back for this artist with five decades of musical experience, long predating the formation of the family band in 1977.
Charles Neville formed
Turquoise with brother
Art and some friends in the early '50s. Life and the Navy led Neville out on the road, gigging with everyone from
Jimmy Reed to
B.B. King and
Bobby "Blue" Bland. A member of the house band at the renowned Dew Drop Inn, Neville played with some of the biggest names in his hometown, including
Allen Toussaint,
James Booker,
Huey "Piano" Smith, and
Ernie K. Doe. A drug conviction landed him a stay in Angola prison, whose alumni roster reads like a who's-who of New Orleans musicians. With influences like these, no wonder
Charles Neville became the eclectic musician he is today.
Living in New York exposed him to the major artists of his instrument, from
Sonny Rollins to
Charlie Parker and
John Coltrane. Claiming
Louis Jordan as his inspiration, Neville gigged in the Big Apple with
George Coleman and
Billy Higgins.
He returned to New Orleans to play with his brothers in 1977. Being a member of the First Family of Funk has made him world famous. But for years, the
Nevilles produced great music that was seldom heard outside of the Crescent City. Some of their best work is on
Treacherous (1986), which incorporates everything from Mardi Gras Indian songs to
Aaron Neville's top-charted "Tell It Like It Is." Little they have done since can compare with the album's gospel finale. When
Aaron Neville asks his brother
Charles the Horn Man to blow for them one time, he really does. Or witness his burning sound on "Fever" on the same CD.
Much as they were revered in their hometown, the
Neville Brothers' ascent to superstardom had to wait until the musical collaboration between
Aaron Neville and
Linda Ronstadt woke up the rest of the world to what they had been missing.
Aaron Neville's career as a soloist points up a key fact about the
Neville Brothers. Each has his own separate musical identity:
Cyril Neville with his reggae rhythms,
Art Neville with
the Meters, and
Charles Neville with his group
Diversity.
Known for ethereal performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival,
Diversity followed the masterful lead of
Charles Neville. Drawing from the immense pool of fine musicians in New Orleans, from
Johnny Vidacovich to
Michael Ray, anything became musically possible. The group produced a CD in 1991 entitled
And Diversity, which gives the listener a good overview of their amazing range.
Diversity is still part of
Charles Neville's repertoire, along with the huge body of recordings and personal appearances the
Neville Brothers have made in the past decade.
Charles Neville's talented daughter,
Charmaine Neville often joins her father on-stage.
In 2001, Neville released The Painter, in which he truly does paint with music on classics and original tunes. Also released in 2001 was Safe in Buddha's Palm, in which a seasoned and spiritually minded
Charles Neville pays homage to eastern philosophy, the healing power of the feminine, and the wealth of his musical tradition.
–
Rose of Sharon Witmer, Rovi