Dr. John
(Born 12th November 1940 in New Orleans)
Born Malcolm John Rebennnack in New Orleans, by 1957 Dr. John had already established a fine reputation as a session man of some repute and he also composed the hit 'Lights Out' for Jerry Byrne (1958).
In 1962 he moved to Los Angeles and was highly sought after by any number of producers, including Phil Spector and Harold Battiste amongst others.
It was during the next few years he developed the persona of Dr. John Creaux the Night Tripper, pulling together traditional New Orleans R&B; with West Coast Rock. The 1968 album "Gris Gris" failed to sell in large quantities but became a favourite with the critics and included the classic 'Walk On Gilded Splinters'.
In 1972, after a couple of Gris Gris type follow-ups, Dr. John went back to his New Orleans roots with the superb "Gumbo", a collection of New Orleans R&B; standards. Both the album and the 'Iko Iko' single became hits. "In The Right Place" was the acclaimed follow up (1973) and included 'Right Place, Wrong Time' and 'Such A Night', both successful singles.
"Desitvely Bonnaroo" continued in much the same vein and he continued to record, somewhat sporadically throughout the 70s and 80s, putting together occasionally superb sets such as the solo piano "Dr. John plays Mac Rebennack", an album of New Orleans standards and a superb return to form.
The early 90s saw the release of another wonderful album, the Grammy award winning "Going Back To New Orleans", a title which sums up the music on the silver disc perfectly - he's still recording and still producing fine music.
Dr. John was and is the consummate New Orleans musician, a fine musicologist and a great player. He incorporates funk, rock and roll, jazz and, of course, R&B; into his overall sound and it comes out sounding unique. His distinctive growl is unmistakable, if an acquired taste, and his piano playing is exemplary. His status has probably always been higher among critics and fellow artists than the record buying public. If you want to here what all the fuss is about, then get the 2CD Dr. John Anthology "Mos� Scocious" released on the Rhino label (8122-71450-2 in the UK) - it's a fine overview to date of a career far from over, with an excellent booklet and liner notes; a wonderful introduction to Dr. John's very personal music and vision.
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Primer Picks |
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A wonderful, idiosynchratic performer over the years! Fortunately, the man is the subject of one of Rhino's excellent compilation efforts, in this case the 2CD "Mos' Scocious" - essential
Favourite Album:- Mos' Scocious
Favourite Track:- Such A Night
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Buy Now On-Line |
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