If Memphis had Booker T., then New Orleans had The Meters. The instrumental quartet's seductive regional hit "Cissy Strut" introduced their tightly locked mind-meld, and the rest of their 1969 debut is no less inventive and influential. "Art" is a slithery showcase for keyboardist Art Neville, while "Cardova" and its descending riffs serve the same function for impeccably funky guitarist Leo Nocentelli. But it's drummer Zigaboo Modeliste's sexy, spacious syncopations that keep The Meters running.