He was a hell of a singer too! Check out the tune 'He bite me' the Dragon song. It's as funky as all get out! Dang.

Zigaboo invented New Orleans Funk. One of my favorite Zigaboo grooves is the one from Cissy Strut. Man I spent days trying to figure out how he was playing that pattern. All of Zigs stuff sounds like, 'Oh, that sounds cool, I can do that!' Until you try to play it! Then you suddenly gain an instant appreciation for what a talented and gifted drummer he is. Zig has the Funk in his blood.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2og2aOFUbCA"]Zigaboo Modeliste "Cissy Strut" - YouTube[/ame]

John

Coolest of the cool. I was honored to be able to see a Meters reunion in New Orleans in 2006 and to meet him after his performance at the Long Beach Funk Fest in 2010.

I've given up on trying to be that funky.

Al

Al - Damn, don't stop there brother! Please elaborate about meeting Zig. How did that happen? What did you rap about? Details, details. Inquiring minds want to know! :p

Dr.Watts - This one is for you... Zig is eyebrows deep in the pocket....

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFteJVsPtzQ"]The Meters - He Bite Me - YouTube[/ame]

John

Since you asked …

Upon further review, it was in 2011.

First, a bit of background. I'm not sure how we're related (his grandmother and my grandmother were sisters: second cousins?), but a guy named Jack Stratton did a Kickstarter project in 2011 called "The Funklet," which represented 20 classic funk beats as art. This video might explain it better:

[ame="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461914303/the-funklet"]https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1461914303/the-funklet[/ame]

Jack currently leads a funky combo known as Vulfpeck that's also worth looking into. They attracted some attention last summer when they used Spotify plays to fund their fall tour so that admission would be free. Google it. Jack plays drums, guitar, and piano, the guitarist also plays drums, and the band includes a ridiculous bass player named Joe Dart who just this week accompanied Clyde Stubblefield during a clinic in Chicago. But I digress …

Anyway, I helped fund this Kickstarter project and received my copy on the very day that Zig was scheduled to perform at the Long Beach Funk Fest. I took the booklet with me in the hopes of getting it autographed as it contained two of Zig's beats: "Cissy Strut" and "Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push and Shove)."

After the show, I was able to meet up with the man. He was quite exhausted and ready to make his getaway, but my patience was rewarded. I showed it to him and said that he was in it, so he stopped to have a look. Not only did he sign for me, but he spent several minutes perusing it. I don't think he quite understood it, but he said that it was cool that he was in there with some other drummers that he admired such as Bernard Purdie and James Gadsen. He asked if he could get one and I told him I'd ask my cousin if there were any left. Zig gave me his business card so I could have my cousin send him a copy.

Naturally, my cousin freaked when I told him what happened. Of course he sent one out, but that's all I know.

As far as the Meters reunion in 2006, I had that opportunity as a result of delivering a vanful of used musical instruments (including my first Slingerland kit) to folks who lost their gear in Katrina. As a token of gratitude, the group that organized the distribution of my gear gave me passes to the Voodoo Fest where the concert was going on. Zig was on the left side of the stage and I was right in front of him standing in the mud. They were fantastic and could have gone longer, but they had to stop because they were going to do a jam with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on another stage. That was OK, but not cosmic like their show was. Some of the other bands at the fest that I enjoyed were Drive-By Truckers and Mutemath.

Al

Great story! Jack is a character! Love the promo video. Interesting notation method, is that something I just never heard of, or is it something Jack developed? Either way, it's an ingenious system! Visually busy though, I had trouble following along/reading the notation. Thanks for sharing and you made a good cause and karma rewarded you with those tickets. Pays to be in the right place at the right time... :D

John

Have just watched your videos of the meters, i love the funk stuff I could watch that cissy strut groove all day, there's something for me to get out of this. Love that groove on cissy strut.

Interestingly at the big band rehearsal this morning last number played was called 'coming home baby' I don't know who it's by but I had to play some groove orientated fills in the middle bit. Well I didn't quite play it the way I wanted it- had a little bit of hesitancy with proper fills/feel etc , so watching zigabo on 'cissy strut' is shall I say - inspiring.:D

The funk is strong in that one.

I'm pretty sure that Jack did that as an art project rather than a new way of reading music. But he definitely wanted to honor some of those old-school players.

If you google Vulfpeck, I think you'll get a kick out of some of their tunes and the wacky videos that accompany them. And the bassist Joe Dart is also worth some time.

Al