A Record a Week: Dr. John - The Night Tripper/Gris-Gris

SIDE 1.
GRIS-GRIS GUMBO YA YA
DANSE KALINDA BA DOOM
MAMA ROUX
DANSE FAMBEAUX

SIDE 2.
CROKER COURTBULLION
JUMP STURDY
I WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERS

As mentioned last week, this album is the voodoo/funk beginning of Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack)'s career. The songs on this album invoke that slow deep south style of dance and images of masked voodooists dancing around a fire.

Dr. John's career was lifted instantly by this album and with the recent funk revival, this record has seen another wave of success. Although his live show contains only a few of these tracks by now, the album is still full of classics. The opening Gris-Gris is slow-cooked, much like the cuisine in Louisiana, where Rebennack calls home. The album gets upbeat in the following songs, infused with much jazz and funk.

This album was how I came about discovering Dr. John several years back, and it has been part of my rotation ever since. Not to be missed on side B is Jump Sturdy.

A Record a Week: Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack

SIDE 1.
DOROTHY
MAC'S BOOGIE
MEMORIES OF PROFESSOR LONGHAIR
THE NEARNESS OF YOU
DELICADO

SIDE 2.
HONEY DRIPPER
BIG MAC
NEW ISLAND MIDNIGHT
SAINTS
PINETOP

Dr. John may be most famous for his funky New Orleans sound, or perhaps for his voodoo-inspired Night Tripper/Gris Gris days. However, the thing that doesn't necessarily shine through those records is his piano playing ability. Boy, can he tickle those ivories.

On this record, he strips down his sound and his moniker (born Malcolm 'Mac' Rebennack) to give you ten great tracks of just him and his piano. Even the vocals are sparse, leaving you to enjoy the true talent at the core of his music.

For those of you who are fans of Dr. John's Night Tripper days, I suggest you check this out as a musical history of the man behind those records.