Dr. John

  • New Orleans, LA
    hometown
  • Classic Rock
    genre
  • 1950
    started
  • Bio
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About Dr. John

Official Site: http://drjohn.org/ | @https://twitter.com/akadrjohn | facebook.com/drjohnthenitetripper


Although he didn't become widely known until the 1970s, Dr. John had been active in the music industry since the late '50s, when the teenager was still known as Mac Rebennack. A formidable boogie and blues pianist with a lovable growl of a voice, his most enduring achievements have fused New Orleans R&B, rock, and Mardi Gras craziness to come up with his own brand of "voodoo" music. He's also quite accomplished and enjoyable when sticking to purely traditional forms of blues and R&B. On record, he veers between the two approaches, making for an inconsistent and frequently frustrating legacy that often makes the listener feel as if "the Night Tripper" (as he's nicknamed himself) has been underachieving.

In the late '50s, Rebennack gained prominence in the New Orleans R&B scene as a session keyboardist and guitarist, contributing to records by Professor Longhair, Frankie Ford, and Joe Tex. He also recorded some overlooked singles of his own, and by the '60s had expanded into production and arranging. After a gun accident damaged his hand in the early '60s, he gave up the guitar to concentrate on keyboards exclusively. Skirting trouble with the law and drugs, he left the increasingly unwelcome environs of New Orleans in the mid-'60s for Los Angeles, where he found session work with the help of fellow New Orleans expatriate Harold Battiste. Rebennack renamed himself Dr. John, The Night Tripper when he recorded his first album, Gris-Gris. According to legend, this was hurriedly cut with leftover studio time from a Sonny & Cher session, but it never sounded hastily conceived. In fact, its mix of New Orleans R&B with voodoo sounds and a tinge of psychedelia was downright enthralling, and may have resulted in his greatest album.

He began building an underground following with both his music and his eccentric stage presence, which found him conducting ceremonial-type events in full Mardi Gras costume. Dr. John was nothing if not eclectic, and his next few albums were granted mixed critical receptions because of their unevenness and occasional excess. They certainly had their share of admirable moments, though, and Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger helped out on The Sun, Moon & Herbs in 1971. The following year's Gumbo, produced by Jerry Wexler, proved Dr. John was a master of traditional New Orleans R&B styles, in the mold of one of his heroes, Professor Longhair. In 1973, he got his sole big hit, "In the Right Place," which was produced by Allen Toussaint, with backing by the Meters. In the same year, he also recorded with Mike Bloomfield and John Hammond, Jr. for the Triumvirate album.

The rest of the decade, unfortunately, was pretty much a waste musically. Dr. John could always count on returning to traditional styles for a good critical reception, and he did so constantly in the '80s. There were solo piano albums, sessions with Chris Barber and Jimmy Witherspoon, and In a Sentimental Mood (1989), a record of pop standards. These didn't sell all that well, though. A more important problem was that he's capable of much more than recastings of old styles and material. In fact, by this time he was usually bringing in the bacon not through his own music, but via vocals for numerous commercial jingles. It continued pretty much in the same vein throughout the '90s: New Orleans super sessions for the Bluesiana albums, another outing with Chris Barber, an album of New Orleans standards, and another album of pop standards.

In 1994, Television did at least offer some original material. At this point he began to rely more upon cover versions for the bulk of his recorded work, though his interpretive skills will always ensure that these are more interesting than most such efforts. His autobiography, Under a Hoodoo Moon, was published by St. Martin's Press in 1994, and in 1998 he resurfaced with Anutha Zone, which featured collaborations with latter-day performers including Spiritualized, Paul Weller, Supergrass, and Ocean Colour Scene. Duke Elegant followed in early 2000. Additional albums for Blue Note followed in 2001 (Creole Moon) and 2004 (N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda). Sippiana Hericane, a four-song EP celebrating his beloved hometown of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, arrived in November of 2005. Mercernary, an album of covers of songs made famous by Johnny Mercer, appeared on Blue Note in 2006. City That Care Forgot followed in 2008. The Night Tripper persona was revived for 2010's Tribal, which featured guest spots from Derek Trucks, Allen Toussaint, Donald Harrison, and the late Bobby Charles. Dr. John also contributed to French electronic artist Féloche's international hit single "Gris Gris John" the same year. He teamed with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, to producer and record Locked Down. It was issued in the spring of 2012. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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Photos

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  • Dr. John
    Michael Wilson

News

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  • Dr. John
    The Top 10 Best 'Star Trek' Episodes Ever
    MTV Geek
    May 16, 2013
    Still from “Balance of Terror” By Kevin Brettauer From September 8, 1966 to May 13, 2005, the once humble, now-colossal " Star Trek " franchise p...
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  • Dr. John
    The History of S.H.I.E.L.D. Part Two: The Steranko Years
    MTV Geek
    May 15, 2013
    By Patrick A. Reed By now, you've probably heard the news that ABC has ordered a full season of " Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. ," the show set i...
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  • Dr. John
    New Orleans Meets New York as Dr. John and Ponderosa Stomp Honor Wardell Quezergue
    www.rollingstone.com
    "Barefootin'," one of the many Crescent City R&B classics associated with the evening's honoree, producer-arranger-songwriter Wardell Quezergue. But s...
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  • Dr. John
    Dr. John, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Was 'Surprised' By the News
    www.rollingstone.com
    spill. This'll be different, so I'll have to wing it and hopefully I'll do all right. Alice Cooper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Was 'Elated' ...
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  • Dr. John
    The Decemberists and Dr. John Highlight New and Old at JazzFest
    www.rollingstone.com
    seemed classy and elegant. The grooves generated by ?uestlove and bassist Owen Biddle were physical, and as the band approached the end of "Compared t...
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  • Dr. John
    Short Takes: Dr. John, Chelle Rose, The Replacements and More
    American Songwriter
    the Waco's aggressive style with the singer/songwriter's more restrained, melodic approach. It's just as insurgent as Bloodshot typically promises but...
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  • Dr. John
    Short Takes: Dr. John, Chelle Rose, The Replacements and More
    American Songwriter
    the Waco's aggressive style with the singer/songwriter's more restrained, melodic approach. It's just as insurgent as Bloodshot typically promises but...
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  • Dr. John
    Dr. John to Join Black Keys at Grammys
    www.rollingstone.com
    The Black Keys will bring some New Orleans flavor to their Grammys performance Sunday when Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band join them onst...
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  • Dr. John
    The Black Angels, Widespread Panic's JoJo Hermann, The Everyone Orchestra, Dr. John and More Join Nolafunk Jazzfest Series
    www.jambands.com
    Republic on their Indigo Meadow Tour while on May 2 the Nolafunk Jazzfest Series will host Down on the Bayou IV: A Benefit for the New Orleans Musicia...
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  • Dr. John
    The Avett Brothers, Edward Sharpe, Dr. John, Dispatch and More Join Summerfest's Lineup
    www.jambands.com
    Summerfest. Billed as the "world's largest music festival," Summerfest will take place on the 75-acre Henry Maier Festival Park over the weekend's of ...
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  • Dr. John
    Derek Trucks, Dr. John and Others Will Join Shannon McNally For Her Bobby Charles Tribute
    www.jambands.com
    Shannon McNally will release an album of 11 Bobby Charles covers called Small Town Talk on April 30. Charles is famous for hits he wrote for performer...
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  • Dr. John
    Dawes, Dr. John, John Butler Trio Added to XPoNential Festival
    www.jambands.com
    Dawes, Dr. John, John Butler Trio, Trampled By Turtles and more have been added to the lineup for the 2013 XPoNential Music Festival, which takes plac...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Ottawa, ON, Canada Canal Stage, Confederation Park
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Toronto, ON, Canada Nathan Phillips Square
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Toronto, ON, Canada Nathan Phillips Square
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  • Jun 28 Friday
    Saskatoon, SK, Canada Delta Bessborough Gardens
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  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Montreal, QC, Canada Upstairs - Jazz Bar & Grill
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  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Montreal, QC, Canada Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts
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  • Jul 7 Sunday
    Québec, QC, Canada Place Metro in Place d'Youville
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  • Jul 7 Sunday
    Québec, QC, Canada Festival D'ete
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  • Jul 13 Saturday
    Winnipeg, MB, Canada Bird's Hill Provincial Park
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  • Jul 19 Friday
    Apple Valley, MN, US Weesner Amphitheater, Minnesota Zoo
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  • Jul 24 Wednesday
    Alexandria, VA, US Birchmere
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  • Jul 26 Friday
    Camden, NJ, US Wiggins Park
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  • Jul 26 Friday
    Camden, NJ, US Camden Waterfront
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  • Jul 31 Wednesday
    Los Angeles, CA, US Hollywood Bowl
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  • Aug 2 Friday
    Newport, RI, US The International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino
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  • Aug 9 Friday
    Wheeling, WV, US Heritage Port Amphitheater
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  • Aug 16 Friday
    Jackson, MS, US Ms Ag Forestry Museum
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  • Aug 17 Saturday
    Jackson, MS, US Ms Ag Forestry Museum
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  • Sep 21 Saturday
    Glen Ellen, CA, US BR Cohn Winery
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  • Sep 21 Saturday
    Napa, CA, US Uptown Theatre
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Discography

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  • Locked Down (2012)
    Dr. John
    Locked Down (2012)
    Nonesuch
  • Tribal (2010)
    Dr. John
    Tribal (2010)
    Fontana
  • City That Care Forgot (2008)
    Dr. John
    City That Care Forgot (2008)
    429 Records
  • Mercernary (2006)
    Dr. John
    Mercernary (2006)
    EMI Music Distribution
  • Sippiana Hericane (2005)
    Dr. John
    Sippiana Hericane (2005)
    Parlophone
  • N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda (2004)
    Dr. John
    N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda (2004)
    Toshiba
  • Creole Moon (2001)
    Dr. John
    Creole Moon (2001)
    Blue Note Records
  • Duke Elegant (2000)
    Dr. John
    Duke Elegant (2000)
    Blue Note Records
  • Anutha Zone (1998)
    Dr. John
    Anutha Zone (1998)
    Virgin
  • Trippin' Live (1997)
    Dr. John
    Trippin' Live (1997)
    Surefire
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