[Dixielandjazz] Saxophonist Charles Neville has died at 79

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML

From:  Norman Vickers, Jazz Pensacola

 

Just got notice of Charles Neville's death at 79.  RIP.

 

Norman

 


by Keith Spera, The Advocate

 


https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif

Charles Neville


https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif

Charles Neville (Advocate staff photo provided by Brianna Paciorka)

NEW ORLEANS - Neville Brothers saxophonist Charles Neville died Thursday of
pancreatic cancer in Massachusetts, where he had lived for many years. He
was 79.

His brother Aaron Neville confirmed his death to WWL-TV.


Charles Neville was the second-oldest of the four brothers who, for three
decades, formed the core of the Neville Brothers, one of the most important
and influential bands to emerge from New Orleans. For many years, the
Neville Brothers were the closing act on the final Sunday of the New Orleans
Jazz and Heritage Festival. 

In addition to his own considerable musical contributions, Neville was the
father of popular singer Charmaine Neville, a familiar presence on local
stages.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Charles grew up on Valence Street and in the
Calliope housing development. In the 1950s, he toured with bands that backed
such rhythm & blues stars as Johnny Ace, Jimmy Reed and B.B. King. He
enlisted in the Navy in 1956 and was stationed in Memphis.

"I was really bummed out until I found Beale Street," Charles Neville said
in an August 2017 interview with Gwen Thompkins, host of "Music Inside Out,"
which airs locally on WWNO-FM.

He joined singer Larry Williams' band, but his music career was soon
sidelined. As he described in the "The Brothers," the Neville Brothers' 2000
autobiographical oral history, he fell into a life of crime and addiction;
he fought alternating cycles of heroin and methadone for two decades.

In the early 1960s, he served time at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at
Angola for possession of marijuana. He rehearsed in the prison's music room,
collaborating with other incarcerated New Orleans musicians, including
pianist James Booker and drummer James Black.

He moved to New York in the late 1960s, gigging with various artists. He
finally returned to New Orleans at the behest of his uncle, George Landry,
aka Big Chief Jolly, of the Wild Tchoupitoulas. Landry brought nephews
Charles, Aaron, Art and Cyril together for the recording sessions for the
1976 album "The Wild Tchoupitoulas."

That collaboration gave birth to the Neville Brothers. Intermingling funk,
soul and New Orleans rhythm and blues, they catapulted to national acclaim
in the 1980s. Charles Neville, who finally shook his addiction in 1986 via
an intensive program in Eugene, Oregon, supplied one of the band's sonic
signatures via his saxophone.

It snaked through the title track of the classic 1989 album "Yellow Moon"
and that album's "Healing Chant." "Healing Chant" won a Grammy for best pop
instrumental performance, the Neville Brothers' only Grammy win.

Onstage, Aaron often introduced Charles as "Charlie the horn man."

A strict vegetarian and adherent of various Eastern spiritual philosophies,
Charles told Thompkins he brought a "calming, centering energy" to the
Neville Brothers.

After the Neville Brothers called it quits in 2012, he continued to tour as
a member of Aaron Neville's solo band. He also led his own jazz combos.

He had moved to rural Massachusetts after he got married, and his wife's
parents gave the couple land on which to build a house. He has also said
that he was eager to get away from the crime in New Orleans.

In Massachusetts, he performed with two of his sons as the New England
Nevilles.

He was scheduled to take part in the Neville Family Groove, a celebration of
the Nevilles legacy at Tipitina's in November 2017. However, he was
hospitalized at the time and unable to perform.

A benefit concert to raise money for his medical and living expenses was
held on Feb. 3 at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton,
Massachusetts. Scheduled performers included Aaron Neville, Charmaine
Neville and Charles' son Khalif, a pianist.

At the time, Charles was hospitalized and too weak to perform.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

 

----

 

Keith Spera writes about music, culture and his kids.

SOURCE Link

 

 

 

F.Norman Vickers

5429 Dynasty Drive

Pensacola, FL 32504-8583

Home 850-484-9183; cell 850-324-5022

Jazz Society of Pensacola 850-433-8382

www.jazzpensacola.com <http://www.jazzpensacola.com/> 

nvickers1 at cox.net

http://jazzpensacola.com/vickers/

Member Jazz Journalists Association

 

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