lei Hi 8 DR JOHN AND THE LOWER 91 1 Usher Hall, Edinburgh. Wed 10 May
Maybe Dr John, aka the Night Tripper, aka Mac Rebennack Jr, draws his seemingly endless supply of creative energy from some down home magic. The New Orleans singer, songwriter, composer, bandleader, producer and pianist who released his first album, the utterly unique Creole funk, rhythm and blues, psychedelic rock, voodoo mysticism wig-out Gris-Gris, back in 1971, is more prolific now than ever before. That’s saying a lot for a veteran of the music biz who started out playing guitar with mentor Professor Longhair in the 19505, became a session musician (switching to piano after his index finger was almost shot off during a brawl), working with Sonny and Cher and Aretha Franklin in the 19605, and went on to win five Grammys during the course of his subsequent solo career. In 2004, Rebennack, who remains best known for his hits ‘Right Time, Wrong Place’ and ‘Such A Night’, released a love letter to his home titled
N’Awlinz Dis, Dat or D’Udda. In 2005, he put out Sippiana Hericane, a charitable response to Hurricane Katrina. That same year two volumes of (updated) archive recordings, Dr John Plays Mac Rebennack, hit the music stores. Next month sees Dr John‘s umpteenth release: Mercenary, a tribute to fellow workaholic and colourful Southern States personality Johnny Mercer. And in all the years Rebennack's been in the studio, he‘s also never stopped touring outside it.
Which brings us - or rather him - to Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. On a whistle-stop tour of the UK, Dr John and his band The Lower 911 (named after their recording studio in New Orleans‘ Upper Ninth Ward) are showcasing Mercer’s popular show tunes, among them reworkings of ‘Blues in the Night’ and ‘Moon River’, all performed in the gravel-voiced, boogie- woogie piano playing of his long since inimitable style. The Doctor don’t wear voodoo priest no more, but he’s still got that old black magic. (Miles Fielder)
A CERTAIN RATIO NJ Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sat 29 Apr; Sub Club, Glasgow, Sun 30 Apr
'Sounds like Angelfish‘ say Edinburgh‘s lsa and the Filthy Tongues on their MySpace site. But in truth, they sounds little like the former band of Martin Metcalfe (guitar), Fin Wilson (bass) and Derek Kelly (drums) — with newcomer Stacey Chavis on vocals - and even less like their predecessors Goodbye Mr MacKenzie. Metcalfe tells us more.
Why did you all decide to return to music now?
How does the new band differ from Goodbye Mr MacKenzie?
What do you think of Garbage (Shirley Manson having come to attention in Goodbye Mr MacKenzie)?
' ‘.',:. ./ ' THE LIST 67