Medicated Magic (Ropeadope)

by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Overview

New Orleans' most famous, well-traveled, and recorded brass band celebrates its 25th anniversary with its ninth release. Best known in rock circles for contributions to albums from the Black Crowes, Elvis Costello, and especially Widespread Panic (with whom they toured and whose John Bell appears as guest vocalist on a track), the hotshot horn men offer few surprises on this disc predominantly comprised of popular Crescent City classics. But why bother stretching boundaries when their sound remains unique, stimulating, and inspiring? Adding a full-time keyboardist and guitar fleshes out but doesn't dilute the seven tooting horns as they tear through an inspired if slightly obvious set of covers from hometown legends Aaron Neville ("Tell It Like It Is"), the Meters ("Africa," "Cissy Strut"), Irma Thomas ("Ruler of My Heart"), and Dr. John ("Walk on Gilded Splinters," "Junko Partner") with infectious enthusiasm. Guests range from sacred steel guitar master Robert Randolph -- whose soaring, hair-raising solos on three tracks infuse even more goosebumps than the already nail-biting musicianship -- to Dr. John on vocals and piano, DJ Logic (adding nifty scratching doesn't appreciably update the Dozens' down-home approach), and jazzman Olu Dara. Sexy chanteuse Norah Jones gets slinky on the most sensuous version of "Ruler of My Heart" ever recorded, and Dr. John's gritty vocals make the slow-groove version of Allen Toussaint's "Everything I Do Gon' Be Funky" even better than Lee Dorsey's original. But no matter how often you've heard these tunes, the Dirty Dozen's crackling second-line rhythms, bumping tuba basslines, and uncanny ability to shift from boiling low-down gumbo to cool jazz make the versions here essential listening. "It Ain't Nothin' but a Party," as they say in the appropriately titled opening track. ~ Hal Horowitz

Product Details

Release Date:	04/23/2002
Label:	MNRK ONE MUSIC
UPC:	0821838293125

Tracks

1. Ain't Nothin' But a Party
2. Walk on Gilded Splinters
3. Cissy Strut
4. Ruler of My Heart
5. Everything I Do Gon' Be Funky
6. We Got Robbed
7. Junko Partner
8. Tell It Like It Is
9. Africa
10. Big Chief

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band   Primary Artist
John Bell   Primary Artist,Vocals
Olu Dara   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guest Artist
DJ Logic   Primary Artist,Turntables,Guest Artist
Robert Randolph   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Norah Jones   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals
Dr. John   Primary Artist,Vocals,Piano,Guest Artist
Terence Higgins   Drums
James McLean   Guitar
Frederick Sanders   Keyboards
Julius McKee   Sousaphone
Sammie Williams   Trombone
Efrem Towns   Trumpet
Kevin Harris   Sax (Tenor)
Roger Lewis   Sax (Baritone),Sax (Soprano)
Gregory Davis   Vocals,Trumpet

Technical Credits

Craig Street   Audio Production
Gregory Davis   Composer
Leo Nocentelli   Composer
Ziggy Modeliste   Composer
Earl Gaines   Composer
James McLean   Composer
Art Neville   Composer
Allen Toussaint   Composer
George Porter, Jr.   Composer
George Davis   Composer
Lee Diamond   Composer
Bob Shad   Composer
Terence Higgins   Composer
Arthur "Red" Neville   Composer
Sammie Williams   Composer
Naomi Neville   Composer