Cyril Neville Talks Busy Jazz Fest, Grateful Dead Tribute Project & More

The Neville Brothers, often referred to as “New Orleans’ first family of funk,” hold a singularly special standing high atop the deep list of the Crescent City’s music elite. Although the Neville Brothers haven’t performed since 2015 and both Art Neville and Charles Neville have since passed away, their family tree of music has continued to blossom.

With Aaron Neville retired from performing, Cyril Neville is leading the next Neville generation(s) to great heights.

In the midst of a packed New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival schedule, I had the opportunity to sit down with him to learn where he’s heading musically, at a very young 77 years old.

JamBase: You’ve got two shows on Wednesday (April 23), The Wild Tchoupitoulas at Chickie Wah Wah and Bayou by Bus at the Civic Theatre. How do you even manage that?

Cyril Neville: Man, this is always one of the busiest times of the year and this year might be the busiest ever for me. Rehearsals started weeks ago. We’ve already done tributes, sessions with different groups… It’s full-on right now.

During this time of year, it’s not unusual to have two or even three shows in one night. That’s just how it goes.

JamBase: What can fans expect from The Wild Tchoupitoulas show?

Cyril Neville: This year marks the 50th anniversary of that record. I always say that was really the first Neville Brothers project. It was the first time we went into the studio together as a family with a clear purpose.

That music is the foundation of everything I do. It all goes back to when I was a kid, experiencing the Mardi Gras Indians, the rhythms, the energy. That stayed with me for life. That’s the soul of my music. It’s the root of my “musical gumbo.”

Every time I’m on stage, I’m paying tribute, not just to my uncle, Big Chief Jolly, but to everyone who kept that culture alive.

JamBase: What should folks expect from the Chickie Wah Wah show?

Cyril Neville: Anytime we do this music, it’s about honoring the people who came before us and carrying it forward. The goal is to keep it alive for the next generation.

The show itself can vary. Sometimes we lean into the original material, but we also bring in new elements. My son, Omari, and others are blending traditional Indian chants with New Orleans-style hip-hop. It’s evolving.

And sometimes, on stage, things just happen. One song turns into another. The spirit moves the music.

JamBase: And what’s the backstory on the Bayou by Bus show at the Civic Theatre?

Cyril Neville: We did that show in 2024 and it went really well. Some of the same musicians are back, Nikki Glaspie, The Nth Power and members of Dumpstaphunk, but it’s always a little different each time.

That’s part of the excitement. I’m even curious to see exactly how it comes together this year.

Stephen (Marley) is the special guest. He has a show at the Jazz Fest and there’s a clause they usually have where you can’t book gigs within a certain radius and all this kind of stuff.

JamBase: You’ve been touring with Omari Neville & The Fuel. How has that impacted you?

Cyril Neville: Those guys have completely energized me. Playing with them feels like being on stage with all the bands I’ve been part of, the Neville Brothers, The Meters, everything at once.

They bring a fresh energy. When I take those classic sounds and run them through what they’re doing, they come out new again, but still rooted in the same spirit.

We toured together earlier this year and sold out multiple shows. The response was incredible.

JamBase: What’s on the horizon?

Cyril Neville: We’ve got new music coming out around Jazz Fest. My album is called Don’t Wait Till I’m Gone, which is a song that was actually penned by my brother Aaron. And he let me into it and we kind of fleshed it out together. And that’s the title song to the album. He’s actually singing on it. Omari’s band is releasing Voodoo.

We’re also planning more touring later this year and even a project where we reinterpret Grateful Dead music, which ties back to when the Neville Brothers toured with them. That was a turning point for us.

It will be a tribute to the days of the Neville Brothers and the Grateful Dead traveling together, which changed everything for us. Once we started doing those shows with them guys, I mean, everything in our lives had changed.

JamBase: Is there any chance you and Aaron might share a stage again?

Cyril Neville: Maybe in some kind of virtual way. Touring is tough. It’s not always what fans see. It takes a lot out of you.

But for me, it’s always been about carrying the legacy forward. And now, seeing the next generation expand on it, that’s everything.

JamBase: Anything else you are looking forward to around Jazz Fest?

Cyril Neville: This year is special. There are multiple Meters shows, something people have been hoping for for years. One sold out so fast they added another.

There’s a lot of history happening right now. And I’m even stepping into a performance at the Gospel tent for the first time.

It’s all part of the journey.