Dr. John – “N’Awlinz Dis Dat Or D’Udda”
I have been a longtime fan of Dr. John and was introduced to his music when “Right Place Wrong Time” was played on the radio back in the 70′s. Each Dr. John album is unique and fascinatingly different; this CD included. You could refer to this CD as “Dr. John and Friends” since there is a plethora of guest artists contributing such as Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, Snooks Eaglin, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Eddie Bo, Cyril Neville and others. Another unique feature of this album is that Dr. John brings in a lot of well-known songs like “When The Saints Go Marching In” and “Stakalee” and takes them in directions you don’t expect. For example, he makes “When The Saints Go Marching In” into more of a funeral dirge reminiscent of the first half of a New Orleans funeral parade; “St. James Infirmary” has a conga line feel to it. Even with the unique directions he takes, all of the songs have a New Orleans vibe as the album title suggests.