They say you have to suffer if you want to sing the blues. But the most memorable roots music -- be it rhythm and blues or any indigenous folk music -- is always acquainted with the most simple fact of life: You live and you learn.
Just ask Charles Neville. He's the well-versed saxophonist and one-fourth of the legendary Neville Brothers, the eclectic New Orleans ensemble whose celebratory sounds are second to none.
"We have a variety of material to draw from," the second-eldest Neville explains over the phone from his home in New Orleans. "Most of it represents the things we want to say -- the stuff we've learned along the way."
And who is better suited for musical commentary than the Neville Brothers? After all, the current tour, which brings them to Baltimore's Meyerhoff Symphony Hall this weekend, marks the beginning of the siblings' 20th year in the music business. The Neville Brothers were committed to family values before it became society's catch phrase.
"With us, it's spiritual," Mr. Neville explains. "Our music has a certain element that touches everyone's spirit. And it's not pretentious or phony. It's the way we live our lives -- by sharing love."
Musically, the Nevilles share that love by bridging pop, soul, New Orleans jazz and funk, and forge the unity of their audience with a message of brotherhood -- a musical gumbo so spicy that an in-concert setting is the only way to serve it.
"Because our fans know they're going to share in the celebration of our show," Charles Neville says, "they can share in the connection between the four of us, and in turn connect with us. We feed off of that camaraderie. Cyril [the youngest of the four brothers] calls a Nevilles crowd 'our fifth member.' It's a family affair."
Therein lies the secret of the Nevilles' success. At the heart of this musical manifestation are the blood ties that bind them together -- so much so that the other three revel in the success of brother Aaron, whose mega-selling duets with such mainstream notables as Linda Ronstadt have attracted scores of new fans to the Neville fold.
"Aaron's commercial success has brought a whole new element to our audience," Charles Neville says. "And thanks to him, we've been able to share our beliefs and spirit with those who may have never heard of the Neville Brothers."
In a global village that keeps getting smaller with each passing day, it's hard to imagine a single inhabitant unaware of the contribution the Neville Brothers have made to popular music.
"There's just something about our sound," is how Charles Neville sums up the appeal of his musical family. "In Europe, Asia, Australia, the response from our audience is always the same. We play the songs the way we feel them, and they learn to feel them that way, too."
In other words, the Neville Brothers provide the solid underpinnings and strength that one can only get from the security of the household. For New Orleans' first family of music, it's a simple fact of life indeed.
Planet Neville
To hear excerpts from the Neville Brothers' "Live on Planet Earth," call Sundial, The Sun's telephone information service, at (410) 783-1800. In Anne Arundel County, call 268-7736; in Harford County, 836-5028; in Carroll County, 848-0338. Using a touch-tone phone, punch in the four-digit code 6153 after you hear the greeting.
The Neville Brothers
Benefit concert for Advocates for Children and Youth
When: Sunday, 7 p.m.
Where: Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Tickets: $35, $75 and $125
Call: (410) 547-9200