Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of Dr. John the Night Tripper [Hardcover]

Dr. John (Author), Jack Rummel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994

The voice of New Orleans, Dr. John's story is the story of four decades on the road, on the charts, in and out of trouble, but always steeped in the music. Filled with wit and wordplay, tales of hoodoo saints and high-living sinners, Dr. John's memorable memoir casts a spell as hard to resist as Mardi Gras itself. Photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As much a tribute to Rebennack's native New Orleans and its vibrant music scene as it is an autobiography, this candid book provides an inside look at the drug-using, hell-raising lifestyle adopted by many rock musicians. Writing in a loose, slangy style with freelancer Rummel, Rebennack, whose albums as Dr. John ( Gris Gris ; Gumbo ) helped popularize the distinctively Cajun-influenced music that is now a hallmark of the New Orleans sound, presents a compelling picture of his hometown as a place of enormous musical energy and excitement. We read of all-night jam sessions, quirky local characters and Voodoo rituals (the sobriquet Dr. John is borrowed from an early Voodoo master). Influenced by such New Orleans greats as James Booker and Professor Longhair, Rebennack hit the road with his first band when he was 16 and, because of narcotics, soon found himself in trouble with the law. He is oddly blase about drugs and tries so hard to maintain his cool-cat rock 'n' roll persona that he comes across more as a caricature than as a real person. The portrait of Crescent City's music scene, by contrast, has depth. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John the Night Tripper, was born in New Orleans in 1940. In his early teens he played hooky from Catholic school in order to pitch songs to Little Richard and Art Neville. By the age of 16, he had recorded an album of original songs and developed a heroin habit. Over the next six years, he honed his craft playing for strippers, pimps, junkies, and even a pickpocketing monkey. When the infamous Jim Garrison cleaned up the city in 1962, Mac took a two-year sabbatical at a federal prison in Fort Worth. Upon his release, he headed for California, where his prodigious session work led to his solo career as Dr. John, one of the Sixties' most outrageous and creative performers. Today, four Grammy Awards later and his drug problems behind him, he's still rocking. This no-holds-barred autobiography by the hippest, "fonkiest" cat to come down the musical turnpike is essential for music libraries.
- Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; First Edition edition (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312105673
• ISBN-13: 978-0312105679
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gripping tale of a true life music legend., April 28, 1999

By 

D. Cashton (Wantagh, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper (Paperback)

For anyone who has heard the music of Mac Rebennack a.k.a. Dr. John, this book is essential reading. His unique experiences and his sense of humor make it fascinating to read from beginning to end.

The good doctor's experiences in the music business make a great tale. From his early attachment to some of the New Orleans music greats, through his own experiences in clubs and recording studios, this makes for a terrific insight into what being a musician is all about.

I would highly recommend this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For New Orleans music fans, November 4, 2009

By 

Javier Fernandez (Richmond, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper (Paperback)

I have read this book twice, not only because I like Dr.John's music, but also because I love the city of New Orleans and its cultural heritage. This book is more than just a musical biography; it's a chronicle of the Crescent City's music scene since the 50's and a huge source of musical information. Of course, Dr. John's biography and musical career is the main subject of the book and it will live up to your expectations. His recollections of his early career, Cosimo Matassa, Professor Longhair, Huey Piano Smith, Fats Domino, James Booker, and many more quoted in the book are priceless. His more recent musical experiences with big names such as Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Van Morrison or Eric Clapton are remarkable too. On the contrary to many other musical biographies, there are not any gossips in this one, just music facts. Dr. John reviews some of his own recordings and includes some of the lyrics. There is also a chapter dedicated to the voodoo religion.

Co-written with author Jack Rummel, the book even works as a travel guidebook to the city. In one of my visits to the Big Easy after reading the book, I found places and sightseeings mentioned in it that I wouldn't find in any other guidebook. Highly recommended.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Twice, June 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper (Paperback)

Want to be a professional musician? Think twice. Dr. John confirms the musician's world as full of addicts, thieves, prostitutes, and swindlers, where almost no one can be trusted. I give the book five stars because it was interesting enough that I finished it, but it's a bittersweet tale of a man who loves music stumbling in a junkie's nightmare. I appreciate his honesty, his sense of humor, his optimism, and his love for music. As an amateur musician who used to contemplate a musical career, I'm glad I opted for a day job and a house in the suburbs. But the story is fascinating. Now I definitely want to check out some of his music.