Dr. John – Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya – Singles 1968-1974
This is a classic collection of a unique artist who has gone to his reward but left behind an impressive catalog. Pianist Mac Rebennack entertained with the persona of Dr. John The Night Tripper & he laid out some interesting New Orleans swampy rock-oriented songs with humidity & jambalaya hot melodies. Beginning with “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya,” the performance strides along slinky & bluesy with textures that could only come from someone who soaked up an era of inventive music styles.
The tunes are peppered & spicy. This collection includes 26 ivory-tickling tightly arranged pieces of art. Varied producers & musicians spread across this set of Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya – Singles 1968-1974 (Dropped April 26/Omnivore/Atlantic/80:00).
Some tunes are basic workouts with a commercial blush while others like “I Walk On Gilded Splinters (Part 1 & 2),” is a signature exploration where Dr. John’s musical mind works & cooks a little hotter. He could be considered the Leon Russell of New Orleans. The music has a “white zombie” creepiness at times with the haunting female chorus & singers with effective repetition & Southern jive talk smokes across the notes.
The compilation was produced by Cheryl Pawelski & Karla Pratt. The sound’s thick at times (analog bottom heavy) keeps the groove strapped to the arrangement’s original date. It’s hard to understand how an artist this unconventional managed to put a dent in the mainstream charts but that was the era. Eccentric-ness worked & Dr. John had it in spades.
Songs like “Mama Roux” are steeped in mystery since this “woman” may have been the actual voodoo practitioner (Marie Catherine Laveau – 1801-1881) or Dr. John was singing about a restaurant. Some labeled Dr. John as psychedelic rock but I didn’t hear that. His material was largely filled with old-time arrangements in a vintage Cajun vocal manner & New Orleans R&B style.
The bullseye was hit when Atco/Atlantic Records released “Right Place Wrong Time,” in 1973 & then “Such a Night” excellently arranged by Allen Toussaint. Both had generous hooks, filled with brass accentuations & soulful guitar.
Even covers like “Iko Iko” originally recorded in 1953 by James Crawford & a major hit in the 60s for The Dixie Cups, had Dr. John recreating it with a driven performance. The way he lived his life. Dr. John never came up short of personality & character.
Highlights – “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya,” “I Walk On Gilded Splinters (Part 1 & 2),” “Mama Roux,” “Loop Garoo,” “Wang Dang Doodle,” “Right Place Wrong Time,” “I’ve Been Hoodood,” “Such a Night” & “Cold Cold Cold.”
A liner note 8pp insert is included. Color image courtesy of Dr. John’s Facebook & live image from Le Poisson in NYC, March 2011. CD @ Target + https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/gris-gris-gumbo-ya-ya/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: Dr. John “Things Happen That Way”