Archives

Time for a re-post. This one will do just fine. Dr. John, the Night Tripper. Gris-gris man. Guru of hoodoo. Master of New Orleans rhythm and funk. With Dr. John, New Orleans native Mac Rebennack [...]

Let’s revisit this post by Professor Jack, our resident expert on radiatin’ the 88s. Blues started with the voice – call and response. The next step was to add a single vibrating [...]

It’s tempting to lump together “The Four Kings of Blues Guitar,” as an enterprising record label named a recent compilation featuring B.B., Albert, Freddie and Earl. But I’m not sure they [...]

Dr. John called him “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” Our Keyboard Correspondent, Brother Jack, offered his own appraisal of the great [...]

Gather round boys and girls… Brother Jack is back to give us a little primer on blues piano, from Cow Cow Davenport to Art Tatum. Save your questions for the end. Blues started with the [...]

Put New Orleans guitarist Fird “Snooks” Eaglin, Jr. near the top of that long list of the criminally ignored. Where do you start with this guy? Most accounts begin with the obvious, [...]

Dr. John, the Night Tripper. Gris-gris man. Guru of hoodoo. Master of New Orleans rhythm and funk. With Dr. John, New Orleans native Mac Rebennack created one of the most memorable characters in [...]

I have more than 21,000 songs on my iPod. And I wrap tin foil around my head to keep out the gamma rays. Do you think less of me? I’m referring to the iPod, of course. Normal people would find [...]

Since Brother Jack did such a great job of taking us down to New Orleans in his last post on James Booker, I decided to stay there – and offer up a few of my favorite examples of Crescent City [...]

Brother Jack takes us from the Rubber City down to New Orleans — home of the world’s greatest piano players and the gonzo king who ruled them all, James Booker.  Jack also gives us a [...]