Dr John and The Lower 911, Shepherd's Bush Empire, July 4th
Dr John and The Lower 911 played Shepherds Bush Empire on July 4th
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Monday, 05, Jul 2010 09:52
A balmy Sunday evening in West London, not quite the Bayou, but if anyone can evoke the steamy musical vibe of the Treme (downtown New Orleans, setting of David Simon's forthcoming follow-up to The Wire), then it is Dr John.
A Louisiana legend, dubbed "The Night Tripper" in the psychedelic sixties, Dr John has been knocking out his unique gumbo of funk, blues, rock 'n' roll and Zydeco folk since the fifties.
There is one barrier, however, instantly obvious. "What's with the seats?" comes the bemused query from the stage. New Orleans music is good-time, ass-shaking music. But the all-seated Shepherd's Bush Empire and the crowd therein seem more prepared for a piano recital. Not that they don't get fantastic keys from the man himself - it's just more boogie-woogie virtuosity than tinkling ivories.
And he's in fine voice as well. Mac Rebennack will be celebrating his seventieth birthday this year and rather than crack or falter (a la Bob Dylan), his voice seems to have only become richer and more instinctively tuneful over time. A sultry blues-tinged cover of John Martyn's classic Don't Want To Know is one particular early highlight.
Mama Roux swings with the effortless class only veteran players can muster but things really get going with the Dr John's funk classic, Right Place Wrong Time - the point at which the audience finally responds to his pleas to get up out of them seats.
Chris Barber, UK jazz legend, also sits in tonight on trombone - bringing a tinge of local tradition to proceedings (despite his eighty years, the band still refer to Barber as "young 'un"). Perhaps unsurprisingly then the overall the vibe of the evening is more relaxed jazz/blues than out-and-out funk or the psychedelia Rebennack became popular for in the late sixties - no room for his classic Walk On Guilded Splinters.
Yet a Dr John gig remains unmissable - he is a legendary proponent of New Orleans music in all its variety, forever mining one of America's deepest veins of musical tradition. One thing though, as requested during the encore, "Next time, no seats!"
Steve Braund