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RIP Dr John

A good Dr John story for you. I briefly played in a band with the drummer from Alabama3. He told me about a gig he’d played a few weeks before at a festival in New Orleans- apparently, half way through their set, he looked to the side of the stage and saw Dr John dancing- “Dr John- dancing to my band. At the moment- if I’d walked off stage and never played again, I’d die a happy man”
 
Very sad - big fan of Dr. John as I've always been a sucker for that funky New Orleans style of piano playing probably from my late father's collection of Fats Domino records and Dr. John carried on that great legacy from Professor Longhair onwards. I have the wonderful DVD Live at Montreaux with Ronnie Cuber on baritone...Dr. John also played piano on Dave Sanborn's "Change of Heart" album and some Hank Crawford albums from the late 1980s and early 1990s and appeared in some episodes in the series "Treme" - RIP Mac you will be missed...:verysad

Greg S.
 
I was amazed at a Paris concert where he picked up the guitar on a tune and was smoking hot on it. Before then, I didn't know he played it.
 
6441 said:
I was amazed at a Paris concert where he picked up the guitar on a tune and was smoking hot on it. Before then, I didn't know he played it.
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I've seen him do that too. I remember reading that he was originally a guitarist but broke one of his fingers in a fight when young so moved onto paino (I'm not quite sure how the logic works there either)
 
Actually, "smoking hot" isn't a good way to describe what he sounded like. That sounds like shredding and fast riffs. What I meant was what I described to "connected to the musicality". The guitar, like the piano, was an extension of him, he could "do no wrong", it was soulful and musical. Very good playing. In an unrelated incident, I was in a the control room when Glen Campbell did a session on a medium tempo tune. He put the guitar on, nailed it in one with stuff that wasn't particularly country, but fit in perfectly with the music. Dr. John was a little like that. I was not surprised he could play guitar, I was surprised by the intense and musical thing he was putting down.

Plus, he often hired horn players!!! :D
 
I saw him a couple of times in the last 10-12 years; always an amazing presence on stage, and he always had an amazing band with him. At one gig I was right up at the stage and was transfixed by the tenor player - dressed head to toe in black, black hat, sunnies, just stood stock still and blew some fabulous stuff. Had no idea who it was until I checked out his touring band afterwards. Only Ronnie Cuber!
 
Jules said:
I've seen him do that too. I remember reading that he was originally a guitarist but broke one of his fingers in a fight when young so moved onto paino (I'm not quite sure how the logic works there either)
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The quote in The Guardian today was that his finger was damaged by a gunshot during a gig. Now that's a story..

www.theguardian.com

Dr John: the voodoo-fuelled showman who beat his own path through rock

The trailblazer who injected New Orleans R&B with sinister psychedelia will live on as an icon of curdled idealism
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 

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