Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dr. John: Duke Elegant

Dr. John: Duke Elegant

By Jim Santella
April 1, 2000
View read count

"Boogie now," says Dr. John to the band in his gnarly trademark manner. Merging New Orleans shuffle rhythms, funk, and hip-hop beats in a tribute to Duke Ellington means that the singer and pianist prefers to do things his way. And why not? Dr. John, 59, has been playing and singing roadhouse blues since the 1950s. It’s what he does, and he’s one of the best. Unique and yet easily recognized, the singer has split his 18th album as a leader evenly between groove rhythm funk and emotional ballads.

Three rarely heard Ellington tunes mark the project. "I’m Gonna Go Fishin’" is from Ellington’s score for Anatomy Of A Murder, while "Flaming Sword" was hidden away until Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra went to work on it two years ago. A vocal number, "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks," was originally written for a play that was never performed. With Cyro Baptista on congas, the band’s instrumental arrangement of "Flaming Sword" gets a calypso motion to support Dr. John’s piano tribute. "Solitude" gets a reverential ballad-singer’s treatment, as do "Satin Doll," "Mood Indigo" and "Do Nothin’ ‘Til You Hear From Me." The exotic "Caravan," "It Don’t Mean a Thing" and "Things Ain’t What They Used To Be," on the other hand, exhibit the driving hip-hop beat, popping electric bass and jazz organ mood of Acid Jazz. Dr. John has paid an honorable tribute to the music of Duke Ellington, but he’s done it his way.

Track Listing

On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks; I

Personnel

Dr. John

piano

Dr. John- piano, Hammond B-3 organ, vocals; David Barard- electric bass, backing vocals; Bobby Broom- guitar, backing vocals; Herman Ernest III- drums, backing vocals; Cyro Baptista- added percussion; Ronnie Cuber- baritone saxophone on "Perdido" and "Don

Album information

Title: Duke Elegant | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

About Dr. John

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Dave Douglas: Moving the Music Forwa...
< Previous

Seasoned
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.