Brian Stoltz

Brian Stoltz’s playing is a perfect fusion of virtuosity, emotion, and instinct, and the combination has helped him to develop a reputation as one of New Orleans’ most sought after guitar players. Stoltz originally made a name for himself with the Neville Brothers, then later the Funky Meters with Batiste and Porter. He’s done session work with some of music’s best, including Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Daniel Lanois, Dr. John, Edie Brickell, and Linda Ronstadt. But in addition to his instrumental work, Stoltz has also worked as a singer-songwriter. With the release of his two solo discs, East of Rampart Street and God, Guns & Money—both efforts in the rock and pop vein—Stoltz has added skills as a songwriter, lyricist and melodicist to his repertoire. He even received a Grammy nomination in the Traditional Blues category for a track he contributed to a Mississippi Fred McDowell tribute in 2004. “For a long time I had been stereotyped as a funk guitarist,” he says, “But I’ve always been about songs as opposed to groove or guitar.” For Stoltz, PBS is a breathtaking departure from the Funky Meters’ routine. Despite its legacy, that band refrained from creating much original material. Porter Batiste Stoltz is diametrically opposite to that; it’s a wellspring of spontaneous creativity, a canvas upon which all three of its very talented members can dabble with color. And often those colors combine to create gorgeous pictures. “When we play together, there’s one mind at work,” says Stoltz. “It’s scary sometimes. In the middle of battle, we can be doing some fierce jamming, and George and I will go to the wrong chord together. How does that happen? It only happens when you’re of one mind.”