On Monday evening, May 16, Dr. John the Night Tripper sizzled through a rare solo performance - his first in twenty years in New York City - at Au Bar, East 58th Street. With only his piano as accompaniment, Dr. John took us to New Orleans, with an extended stay in the seamy sections of the Big Easy. Au Bar, which opened early last year, provided an evocative setting. With its dark wood paneling and banquettes, cozy corners and stray couches and oversized straw chairs among the more conventional tables, and with draperies loosely stretched across the ceiling and Oriental rugs strewn on the floor, Au Bar, at least on this night, suggested more of an upscale bordello in Storyville in the early part of the 20th century than a New York City nightclub. The relaxed lushness was perfect for Dr. John, his rollicking piano, and his bawdy songs of hen-laying roosters and mules in the wrong stall.
What first struck me when Dr. John took the stage is that his appearance has hardly seemed to have changed since he first arrived on the national music scene in the late 1960s. Born Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., he has always seemed older, wiser, and more mysterious than his years, and he has always appeared to have seen more and known more than the rest of us. Of course, Dr. John cultivated this intimidating image. He used to strut on stage with elaborate costumes and headdresses and then preside over a voodoo ritual of some sort. At Au Bar, he still cut an imposing and flamboyant figure in his purple suit, yellow fedora, voodoo walking stick, and a now graying but slightly straggly beard. But Dr. John has always been about more than persona and showmanship. Then and now, he has the chops - the growling voice, the exotic piano rhythms, and the songs: witty, often fun, but somehow deep and mysterious. What do we make, for instance, of the Mardi Gras inspired "Iko Iko" with its arson-threatening grandmothers? Like many of his songs, Dr. John brings together the mythical and the earthy and thus touches our souls and our libido. Now 65, he has been around for ever. His session work dates back to the 1950s and his first album, the remarkable Gris-Gris, was released in 1967.
At Au Bar, Dr. John did what he does best - sing and play his gumbo of New Orleans music. It is fitting that perhaps his best album is called Gumbo (1972). Dr. John opened his set with a lively but bluesy instrumental that slid into the gospel-like "Let's Sing," which then gave way to the blues ("I'm Gonna Find My Baby"), and then the first of several ribald songs. Although every song sweated New Orleans and Dr. John performed songs from his "home boys" - like Professor Longhair, one of his prominent influences, and Cousin Joe, one of his favorites with this set featuring several of his double entendre "crittur" songs - Dr. John performed selections from throughout the 20th century American songbook. He featured songs by Jerome Kern, Howard Arlen, Louis Jordan, Randy Newman, Duke Ellington (a couple of songs pulled from the Doctor's Duke Elegant album, 2000), Doc Pomus, Cole Porter, Willie Dixon, and Leadbelly, with an effectively bluesy and soulful version of "Cotton Fields" and a jazzed version of "Goodnight Irene." Dr. John could have introduced many of the songs as he did "St. James Infirmary": "This is a song that I have heard my whole damn life." Although his song selection covered most of America, his arrangements and rhythms never strayed outside the Crescent City limits and showcased his adroitness in a variety of styles, including blues, jazz, stride, gospel, honky-tonk, and rhythm and blues. Dr. John wrapped up his set wonderfully in the encore with his boogie-woogie rendition of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."
The master chef cooked for almost two hours, and no matter what he threw in his gumbo every piece had steam, spice, and a bit of voodoo magic. It was a treat to see the legend carry the show himself.