This week, let's take a look at some video clips of New Orleans pianist and singer Dr. John, who will be in St. Louis this Tuesday, August 4 to perform at at The Pageant. Though not strictly a jazzman per se, Dr. John (born Mac Rebennack) is a fine exemplar of the New Orleans musical tradition, blending jazz, blues, funk, gospel and more into an instantly recognizable personal sound. He's been a favorite in St. Louis for years, and reliably puts on an entertaining, well-paced show.
Today, we've got three videos representing more than 20 years of Dr. John performances. First up, the Doc shows off some of his boogie piano stylings on a rendition of “Mac's Boogie" recorded in 1986 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Down below, the second clip is from another Montreux show in 1995, and features him doing a version of Ray Charles' “Mess Around". In the third spot is a video from last November, showing Dr. John and his current backup band The Lower 911 performing the syncopated Latin-funk number “Goin' Back to New Orleans" at the Paradiso in Amsterdam.
