Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dr. John: Mercernary

Dr. John: Mercernary

By C. Michael Bailey
May 23, 2006
View read count

On Mercernary the good doctor, Mac Rebennack, performs a Voodoo mass on the music of Johnny Mercer, casting it in the gris-gris patois of his native New Orleans. This union of standards and Creole is a contentious one, showing that one cannot force a square peg into a round hole. "Blues in the Night, "I'm an Old Cowhand, and "Lazybones all sound miscast on this recording. The funk infusion given Mercer's music smothers the delicate melodies.

Dr. John has already proven he is a master of the straight (or almost straight) standard on recordings like In a Sentimental Mood (Warner Bros., 1989) and Afterglow (Blue Thumb, 1995). Mercernary has much in common with Duke Elegant (Blue Note, 2000), where Dr. John doffs his beret to Edward Kennedy Ellington and transforms the Duke's canon into his own Creole language—again, with mixed results.

In spite of this, fans of Dr. John will find this recording enjoyable because of his irrepressible creativity and swing. Dr. John could very well be the inheritor of the Ray Charles poly-musical mantle, though he may have to fight Van Morrison for it.

Track Listing

Blues In The Night; You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby; Personally; Hit The Road To Dreamland; I

Personnel

Dr. John

piano

Dr. John: Vocals, Piano; John Fohl: Guitar, Backing Vocals; David Barard: Bass, Backing Vocals; Herman Ernest, III: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals; Herbert Hardisty, James Rivers, Eric Traub: Tenor Saxophone; Alonzo Bowen: Trombone Saxophone; Charlie Miller: Trumpet; Steve Simon: Percussion.

Album information

Title: Mercernary | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

About Dr. John

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Harlem of the West: The San Francisc...
< Previous

Charles Papasoff: Stoner Jazz
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.