L.A. Says ‘Welcome’ to Neville Brothers

The Scene: A welcome-to-L.A. party for the Neville Brothers, the musical group that is to New Orleans what the Grateful Dead is to San Francisco. A&M; Records hosted the event Thursday night at Cha Cha Cha in East Hollywood, in the midst of the brothers’ seven-night stand (with Linda Ronstadt) at the Universal Amphitheater. Although they’ve been performing for more than two decades, the Nevilles are more popular than ever before with Aaron Neville’s duet of “Don’t Know Much” with Ronstadt and the group’s new album, “Brother’s Keeper.”

The Buzz: “This is really nice,” surprised guests kept repeating, and indeed it was more like a party in a private home than your typical record company shindig. What made it special was what was missing--Hollywood attitude, schmoozers in shiny suits and the ubiquitous AMWs (actors-models-whatevers).

Who Was There: The brothers Neville--Aaron, Art, Charles and Cyril--along with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss (the A and the M in A&M;). Also attending were “Married . . . With Children” star Katey Sagal, rock impresario Bill Graham and musician Herbie Hancock. Media types there included KCBS reporter Hosea Sanders (not working), who said, “I’ve known these guys for years,” and a crew from ABC’s “PrimeTime Live,” which is preparing a segment on the group. (Wonder if Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer have known these guys for years?)

Dress Code: After-work-come-as-you-are. Herb Alpert wore an unconstructed jacket and a baseball cap turned backward, while Cyril Neville wore a pendant with a portrait of Malcolm X.

Chow: Caribbean cuisine--chicken marinated in fruit, black beans, rice, crispy pizzas, banana chips and sangria.

Crashability: There wasn’t much to prevent anyone from strolling right in, but word must not have gotten out about this one: There wasn’t a single paparazzo stationed on the sidewalk.

Quoted: “I’m being attacked by a branch,” said Jerry Moss, swatting away a malevolent tree on the patio. Asked how A&M; managed to build the longtime band into a super group, Moss said: “Because we’re better than the other record companies in town. And people are tired of formula music.”

Triumphs: With so many good restaurants in L.A., planners often show no imagination when it comes to devising party locales. Cha Cha Cha was an excellent choice, and the restaurant’s small size ensured that the party never turned into a melee of business cards and cheek kissing.

Glitches: To paraphrase Ann Richards at the 1988 Democratic Convention, where was Linda? (Ronstadt had RSVP’d, but proved to be a no-show.)