The Meters

The Meters are the definitive New Orleans funk ensemble, serving as the house band for Allen Toussaint's Sansu Enterprises and providing the rhythmic backbone for the city's R&B golden age. , and Zigaboo Modeliste - pioneered a style of syncopated, 'linear' funk that emphasized interlocking parts over melodic density.

Their early instrumental hits like 'Cissy Strut' (1969) established a blueprint for funk that was later heavily mined by hip-hop producers, making them one of the most sampled groups in history. Beyond their own discography, their work as session musicians for Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Robert Palmer solidified the 'New Orleans Sound' as a global standard. Critically, they are regarded as the bridge between traditional 'second line' brass band rhythms and modern funk. Despite limited commercial crossover during their peak, their 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award reflects their status as foundational architects of American groove music.