Russell Batiste and Friends
David Russell Batiste Jr. is an American drummer based in New Orleans. Brought up in a musical family, Batiste started playing drums at the age of four. He also learned to play keyboards, saxophone, guitar and bass, and started to play in the family band when he was seven. Batiste left college after two years to join Charmaine Neville's band. He joined the funky Meters, the reincarnation of the funk band The Meters, in 1989. The funky Meters without Art Neville currently plays under the name Porter Batiste Stoltz (PBS) (with George Porter Jr. on bass, and Brian Stoltz on guitar). Batiste has performed with wide range of musicians and bands including Papa Grows Funk, Vida Blue, Harry Connick Jr., Champion Jack Dupree, Robbie Robertson and Maceo Parker. In 1987 Batiste was in the New Orleans funk band Nuclear Rhythms featuring percussionist songwriter Rosie Rosato, psychedelic funk guitarist songwriter Dirk Billie and bassist songwriter Mark Adam Miller.