I know I said my next review would cover Heartbeat’s Studio One compilations, but I’ve been meaning to get to this album for months, and inspiration struck this afternoon.
Hyena is the label run by producer JOEL DORN, whose work for Atlantic in the 1960s and ‘70s brought us many jazz and soul classics. Now he’s putting out a series of archival recordings of DR. JOHN; this is volume two in The Rebennack Chronicles. This souvenir from 17 years ago catches Dr. John (real name MAC REBENNACK, additional alias The Night Tripper) in action at a beloved New Orleans nightclub.
He’s backed by a band that is simultaneously tight and loose (understanding that that’s not a contradiction is a requirement for digging New Orleans music), complete with tasty trumpet/sax charts and spicy soloing by, respectively, AMADEE CASTENELL and CHARLIE MILLER. The grooves laid down by drummer HERMAN ERNEST III, percussionist TRAZI WILLIAMS, bassist DAVID BARARD, and guitarist TOMMY MORAN are deep without being ostentatiously funky.
And the Doctor’s superb piano skills are often on display. Of course, there are the obvious spotlight moments, such as the intro to “Traveling Mood” and when on “Such a Night” the band drops out and he takes a steady-rolling solo. But his pianism is just as integral to the overall band sound (this is one guy who can sing and simultaneously rip off intricate instrumental lines), and when some else is soloing, he becomes a key rhythm section member.
The ten-song program’s a nice mix of Rebennack-penned classics, such as the aforementioned “Such a Night” and the spookily evocative “I Walk on Gilded Splinters” (with especially wonderful contributions from the horns), New Orleans standards (“Junco Partner,” “Let the Good Times Roll”), and blues/R&B warhorses infused with Nawlins goodness (“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” – the one LOUIS JORDAN and RAY CHARLES had hits with, not the GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS song – and the WILLIE DIXON-scribed HOWLIN’ WOLF chestnut “Wang Dang Doodle”).
Dr. John’s had a long career and made plenty of albums. Don’t let that lead you to sleep on this one, though, because it’s a special treat.
