The Montreux Years

by Dr. John

Overview

Following his death in 2019, Dr. John's estate has been very careful about posthumous releases. Things Happen That Way appeared in 2022; recorded during his final months, it wonderfully reflected a very intimate portrait of Mac Rebennack playing covers, standards, and originals. The Montreux Years compiles stellar Dr. John performances at the revered jazz festival between 1986 and 2012. His Night Tripper persona was retired, and from the beginning of the 1980s, he focused on releasing records that drew directly on the NOLA piano tradition. They revealed his debt to mentor and teacher Professor Longhair, peer James Booker, Isidore "Tuts" Washington, and Fats Domino, to name a few. Following a stage introduction, the first four tracks find Rebennack playing solo. He opens with the incendiary "Professor Longhair Boogie," a choogling stride romp that pays tribute to the teacher's example, shifting gears from boogie-woogie's standard I-IV-V progression to incorporate Latin rhythms. He follows it with the blues "You Ain't Such a Much" and the raucous R&B stride piano of Chris Kenner's "Sick and Tired." The 1986 performance continues with a commanding version of the classic "Stack-A-Lee." The entire atmosphere is altered to a swinging blues and jazz party during Johnny Mercer's "Accentuate the Positive." Drawn from a 2007 performance, it features the Lower 911, one of Dr. John's finest bands. The lone selection from his group's 2004 performance is a rowdy, deeply souled-out reading of his hit "Right Place, Wrong Time." A ten-minute "Going Back to New Orleans" from 1993 features a big band, wild Latin rhythms, and a healthy collection of solos. From 1995, the big horn section swings under Rebennack's glorious piano on the standard "Makin' Whoopee." His low, wry, gravelly singing voice is perfectly suited to all the material on offer here. A serious argument can be made for this particular version of Professor Longhair's "Big Chief" from the 2011 festival as the set's real highlight. Funky as hell, it features Trombone Shorty ripping it up on trumpet. The set's only drawback, occasionally, is its sequencing. For example, immediately following this raucous barn burner is the laid-back, seven-plus-minute instrumental solo piano medley of "In a Sentimental Mood"/"Mississippi Mud"/"Happy Hard Times." It's just too relaxed to enjoy fully due to that placement. The version of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" from 2007 features a killer tenor sax solo from Alvin "Red" Tyler, as the tune cooks, grooves, and struts with greasy intensity. The album closes with a solo version of "Good Night Irene," offered in tribute to friend and piano god James Booker and its composer, Lead Belly. Rebennack captures the late Booker's canny nuances, wedding classical and blues, jazz and rent party boogie with a second line sensibility. While the sequencing is a minor issue, these performances are inspired and electrifying. Fans will delight in The Montreux Years' portrait of a master musician at the very top of his abilities, but it will also serve to endear newcomers to Dr. John's music and legacy. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2023
Label:	Bmg / Bmg Rights Management
UPC:	4050538799712

Tracks

1. Professor Longhair Boogie
2. You Ain't Such a Much
3. Sick and Tired
4. Stack-A-Lee
5. Accentuate the Positive
6. Right Place, Wrong Time
7. Rain
8. Going Back to New Orleans
9. Makin' Whoopee
10. Big Chief
11. In a Sentimental Mood/Mississippi Mud/Happy Hard Times (Medley)
12. Love for Sale
13. Let the Good Times Roll
14. Good Night Irene

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dr. John   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards,Organ,Piano,Guitar
Fred Staehle   Drums
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews   Trombone
Smiley Ricks   Percussion
Fraser Kennedy   Compiled
Karla Pratt   Compiled
Jon Cleary   Vocals,Keyboards
Ronnie Cuber   Sax (Baritone)
David Barard   Bass
Bobby Broom   Guitar
Eric Traub   Saxophone
Shannon Powell   Drums
Charlie Miller   Trumpet
Raymond Weber   Drums
Cranston Clements   Guitar
Derek Huston   Saxophone
Alvin "Red" Tyler   Sax (Tenor)
John Fohl   Guitar
Sarah Morrow   Trombone
Herman V. Ernest III   Drums

Technical Credits

Manny Kurtz   Composer
Yves Jaget   Engineer
Henry Boyd   Composer
Edouard Curchod   Photography
Thierry Amsallem   Executive Producer
Lisa McErlain   Project Manager
Ellis Lawrence Walsh   Composer
Henry Byrd   Composer
Stevie Chick   Sleeve Notes
John Lomax   Composer
Natalie Gray   Project Manager
Fraser Kennedy   Producer,Executive Producer
Nick Bonard   Executive Producer
Michelle Goff   Project Manager
Karla Pratt   Producer
Dr. John   Composer
David Richards   Engineer
Mac Rebennack   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Pete Schwier   Editing
Huddie Ledbetter   Composer
Justin Shirley-Smith   Engineer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Irving Mills   Composer
Cole Porter   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
James Cavanaugh   Composer
Earl King   Composer
Doc Pomus   Composer
Walter Donaldson   Composer
Dave Bartholomew   Composer
Gus Kahn   Composer
Tony Cousins   Mastering,Restoration
Bertrand Siffert   Engineer
Chris Kenner   Composer
Harry Barris   Composer