Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste is a master drummer, rhythm innovator and New Orleans legend. The most highly- acclaimed drummer ever to hail from the Crescent City. Zigaboo is the founding drummer, songwriter and singer of the legendary group the Meters. Modeliste has toured and recorded with Rolling Stones, Ron Wood and Keith Richards as part of the New Barbarians project as well as his sidework with Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Betty Harris, Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey, Harry Connick, Mark Ronson, Erykah Badu, Robbie Robertson and Israeli- French Grammy winner Yael Naim. His drum patterns have been sampled extensively by hip hop artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Queen Latifah, Run DMC, NWA, Ice Cube, Salt N’ Pepa, Cypress Hill, EPMD, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Naughty by Nature, and Eminem.

His drum sound also provided the main loops for Amerie’s
“1Thing,” which was nominated for two Grammys and reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. His songwriting displays both his musical genius and original funk style. Ziggy’s songs have been released on over 70 albums nationally and internationally. His tunes have also graced such movies as “Two Can Play That Game,” “Jackie Brown,” “Drum Line,” “8 Mile,” “Hancock,” “Red,” “ King Richard” and a Nike Commercial for Footaction. Modeliste was featured in producer Mark Ronson’s “Re:Generation Music Project,” In 2014, Modeliste’s drum work was sampled in Eminem’s single, “Berserk” — a Billboard No. 1 BMI Award winner.

In 2016, The Meters famed “Handclapping” was the featured song in Google Pixel Nightmoves. Their song was sampled on Googles Shedeur and Shilo Sanders Pixel. As well as Timberland, Anna Margo’s “My Way” Modeliste is honored to be named in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Times and Drum! 50 Most Important Drummers of All Time. His solo work is released through his own label, JZM Records, and his business, Jomod Music Publishing, offering publishing services a varied repertoire of music for licensing.

In 2018, the Recording Academy has honored Modeliste and The Meters with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.

During his school days John played coronet and trumpet, those clarions of life in New Orleans, in his junior high and high school marching bands; he was a section leader, no less, in a town where marching bands duel like decked-out demons in the street. School also gave John the chance to sing, first at talent shows and then with street a capella groups, groups named -- listen -- "Spirit" and then "Remnant." Linger for a moment on those names, and then let them resonate an instant longer, street bands singing on the bricks of a town where "street singer" is still a respectable job title.Take another moment and stir in the spices of the music that was on the turntables of his older brothers and sisters, the music that ruled the street and raised the spirits: Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. During these years traditional jazzmen like Paul Babarin, Louis "Big Eye" Nelson and Danny Barker became both John's friends and mentors. John's sister, Lillian Boutte, introduces the young stylist to local legends like Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and James Booker.

After high school, John studied at Xavier University, a black Catholic institution known in New Orleans and indeed the entire Deep South. After graduating John was commissioned as officer in the U. S. Army, and provided with the opportunity to direct and sing in the Army gospel choirs in Virginia, Texas and, eventually, Korea. It was in Korea, ironically, when sinqing gospel and deep, deep blues after hours in restaurants he'd only accidentally entered, that he began to know himself as an American, an artist and a person. Not long after his return to the States, John was invited to tour almost the entirety of Europe with his sister Lillian. Europe was a set of lessons in languages and cultures and customs, which gave John a chance to meditate on the very idea of a life led as a jazz singer.

When John eventually got back home to New Orleans he continued singing. But now there was a new generation, a new breed of musicians available; musicians like Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Nicholas Payton and Bryan Blade. He began to open shows for the likes of Mel Torme, Lou Rawls, Rosemary Clooney and, most recently, Herbie Hancock. In recent times he has recorded three CD's. Through the Eyes of A Child , Scotch and Soda, and the remarkable Jambalaya, recorded for Bose. Yet another CD entitled Gospel United, a concert recording arranged in Denmark, contains his remarkable solo arrangement of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", which has achieved Gold Record status in several European markets.

Sometimes you can hear him singing, sometimes whistling, or sometimes you can hear him faintly from the street as he sits at his piano singing a Korean lullaby. John's job is to sing -- to sing jazz, to sing it with such style and grace that no one ever mistakes him for anything other than a master. John is one of those remarkable cases where the art arises from the true heart. To know John is to hold onto the coattails of a butterfly. To hear him sing is to feel a brief touch of the wing.

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