Customer Reviews

Dr John Plays Mac Rebennack: Legendary Sessions 2

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Somewhere in the mid-eighties Dr John released plays Mac Rebennack. Where a lot of the good doctor's studio work was at times plagued by mediocrity that release was suddenly a more than solid effort. Mac Rebennack is of course the Night Tripper himself, doctor John was suddenly playing out of his "own" songbook, although a lot of the compositions here are actually originated from some one else's pen. Plays Mac Rebennack gives you the good Doctor at his most pure, just the man and his rolling and funky piano, his rough and gruff voice and a great assortment of songs and instrumentals. The original release focussed on instrumental work, the vol. 2 companion of the re-release with outtakes from the original sessions focuses more on vocal outings of Dr. John from that time.

Plays Mac Rebennack was a highly intimate late night album; the outtake sessions featured here in vol. 2 are much in the same vein. This is not a bad thing at all, listening to this album one can only conclude that the Doctor is much more powerful and compelling when playing all by his lonesome. The album features a lot of different shades, from uninhibited joy to dark melancholy. With tracks like Marie La Veau some of the Night Trippers mystic creep into this album, Boxcar Boogie is a bar room brawl, Touro Infirmary is a strong adaptation of the familiar st. James, Come Rain or Shine is spine chilling.

Every single selection here is played in the Doctor's signature style, highly indebted to Professor Longhair yet very recognisable as Mac Rebennack. Doctor John has long been one of the most eccentric individuals in Rhythm and Blues; Plays Mac Rebennack shows us he's a master. There's not a note to many, during the record he plays his strengths en weaknesses very well. This release and the re-release of the original album were long overdue.

A great way to revisit classic Dr. John. Remastered for amazing sound with a TON of bonus tracks...this is a fantastic album for any Dr. John fan or someone looking to get into his stuff. Definitely pick it up!

Indeed... As mentioned by another reviewer, this is a blues music for bars: A never-ending stream of notes that make you feel unworried and thirsty. A wonderful retrospective of Mr. Rebennack's musical roots: the ghosts of Tony Jackson, Pinetop Perkins, 'Fes (of course), Roosevelt Sykes, Cow Cow Davenport, Jelly Roll Morton (of course), Cousin Joe, and all of the rest ... all come alive. What a treat. It has something specifically American about it that I find perfect: common, simple, earthy, vibrant, sexual in a Crescent City Storyville sort of way. If you have any ear at all for straight New Orleans blues and boogie woogie, both Volumes 1 & 2 of this series by Mac are no-brainer sure-fire sources of listening pleasure. These recordings will be listened-to for a long time.

I tend to lean towards just worshiping his beautiful music. Uptempo and soothing. I like the slow songs as well. His lyrics are fun and only Dr. John has that throaty voice that connects you to the meaning of the music. I just downloaded a few hours ago and this is my third time listening to each song. So perhaps i am an addict of Dr John's. I think most will enjoy this album.

This CD features really good blues piano. Sometimes soft and quiet and at other times quite strident. For me,this is really the way the piano should be in this genre. Dr John's vocals (not on all tracks) adds to the authenticity.

This is one of my favorite CD's. I just wish I could play the piano like he does! I have played it so often that some of my friends are now fans as well!

The good Doctor's renditions of some of America's greatest traditional music.

I've been waiting for this for years, since the first volume came out on CD.

I'm a diehard Dr. John fan, and I own most of his albums. This, along with the first volume, stand outside everything else he has done... not necessarily BETTER, because that swampy fonk of the early Seventies ain't here, and the voodoo of his early work is AWOL.

But what the good Doctor has done here stands alongside the Harry Smith recordings or more precisely, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1970s return to the folk traditions of classic Americana.

I would LOVE to see Dr. John devoting a whole concert to this material.

It's ultimately evocative and fulfilling, and it reveals more with every listen.

Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack: The Legendary Sessions, Vol. 2

A must for those who love piano music. This volume (and Volume 1) illustrate the originality of Dr. John, one of the great blues and funk piano players of the last 50 years. Other piano players in my collection include Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, Errol Garner, Nat "King" Cole,as well as Fatha' Hines, J.P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton. I think this album puts Dr. John in the group as a very different, very original player, and the album is extremely well recorded.

I bought the CD because I was looking for piano music and this one was highly recommended by reviewers. Well, it sure is one boring piece of work! I somehow missed reference on the music style. So, to you all who may be doing the same mistake: it is a blues music for bars. Go out Friday night and you'll have a great chance to hear the same music: the never-ending stream of notes to make you feel unworried and thirsty. Nothing great nor "legendary" about it really. It has something specifically American about it that I find difficult to relate to: too common, too simple, too simpleminded, too shortcoming. Sorry, but using piano for instrument doesn't make the music great; the melodies could have been played on harmonica or accordion instead and sold as folk-music.