Exclusive: Long-lost Dr. John / WDR Big Band record rises

Stand up for Tipitina

From his distinctive sound to his iconic look to his memorable stage performances, Dr. John embodied New Orleans, even as he blurred the lines between R&B, rock, blues, funk, boogie-woogie, and now, big band jazz.

Mac Rebennack’s long-time friend and manager Stanley Chaisson has captured a moment in time, Dr. John’s 1995 collaboration with Germany’s WDR Big Band, one of the best Big Bands in the world. Dr. John arguably never sounded better. His vocals are crisp and clear and joyful, pairing jazz, blues and swing. As Mac said at the time, pondering a new record, “Ya know dis would be dat thing I was always using my head for…a Big Band thing with my New Orleans riffs.” He was so right.

Recorded during the hustle of a tour, placed on hold until the moment was right and subsequently lost in the hurricane of his life, this masterful set, stored for nearly two-and-a-half decades, shows Dr. John as never before.

Stanley Chaisson spoke to Elmore about “Tipitina,” this extraordinary cut,:

“‘Tipitina’ was written by a very famous piano player Roy Byrd..known as Professor Longhair..this guy is nothing but New Orleans..He found chords that didn’t exist..yes he just could play that piano like nobody else..Well, Dr. John and “Fess” (that is what New Orleans folk called Roy) and Mac used to hang at Cosmos recording studio..that’s where Huey Piano Smith, Lloyd Price, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Frankie Ford and Allen Toussaint played and recorded all those hit records in the 50’s and 60’s.. Fess also hung at the local One Stop Record Shop on Rampart St. The owner there used to have lunches for the musicians and Fess and Mac used to attend..Well, to make a long story short, Fess was a huge influence on how Dr. John finally decided to really study the playing, and expand on Professor Longhair’s style..Mac added, filled in and just kept on gathering more and more of what the piano could do. But he always stayed in the basic form of “Fess” with lots more left hand and more of all the skills to become the player he was, a great one, like no one else. Those combinations of root and expansion show on this version of the song “Tipitina.” It really rocks, clean, clear and rhythmic. You won’t be sitting down when this comes on, as they say in Louisiana, ‘I guarantee.’”