Dr. John : NPR

'Jazz Night In America' Remembers Artists We Lost In 2019

Dr. John performs onstage during Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival on Sept. 26, 2015 in Franklin, Tenn. Jason Davis/Getty Images hide caption

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Jason Davis/Getty Images

Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

'Jazz Night In America' Remembers Artists We Lost In 2019

WBGO and Jazz At Lincoln Center

December 26, 2019 • We are showing our deep appreciation for some of the greats who left us in 2019: Dr. John, Joseph Jarman, Ethel Ennis, Larry Willis, Ray Santos and Harold Mabern.

'Jazz Night In America' Remembers Artists We Lost In 2019

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Dr. John performs in London in 2012. Andy Sheppard/WireImage/Getty Images hide caption

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Andy Sheppard/WireImage/Getty Images

Dr. John: In Memoriam Playlist

June 7, 2019 • His sprawling catalogue includes the psychedelic funk made as Night Tripper, Mardi Gras Indian music, jazz standards and show tunes.

Dr. John, Legend of New Orleans, Dead At 77

Dr John, photographed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2005. The beloved fixture of New Orleans music died June 6, 2019. Ross Gilmore/Redferns hide caption

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Ross Gilmore/Redferns

Dr. John, Legend of New Orleans, Dead At 77

June 6, 2019 • Over a career stretching back to the 1950s, Malcolm John Rebennack came to be a living symbol of the city of New Orleans and its bottomless musical character.

A Tribute To Dr. John On His 76th Birthday

Happy birthday to Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, who turns 76 today. Michael Wilson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Wilson/Courtesy of the artist

A Tribute To Dr. John On His 76th Birthday

XPN

November 21, 2016 • Take a tour around New Orleans with the music legend himself.

Stephanie d'Otreppe/NPR

NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2012 (So Far)

June 25, 2012 • The NPR Music team presents its 25 favorite albums from the first half of 2012. Highlights include records by rockers Jack White and Sharon Van Etten, pianists Jeremy Denk and Vijay Iyer and debuts from Alabama Shakes and Exitmusic.

Review

Dr. John: Chicken Gumbo For The Soul

July 24, 2008 • "Life is a near-death experience," Dr. John sings in "You Might Be Surprised," and he's clearly addressing Hurricane Katrina's devastating effect on his beloved New Orleans. As if to clarify the inspiration, he adds, "Hell is right here on this great big earth."

You Might Be Surprised

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Review

Shearwater, Journey Back with New Albums

June 3, 2008 • Esquire music critic Andy Langer surveys the week's new CD releases, from Journey, Dr. John, Shearwater, and Weezer.

Shearwater, Journey Back with New Albums

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XPN

May 30, 2008 • Dr. John's funky takes on jazz standards, his original blues, and his unstoppable stage persona (deer antlers and robes figure prominently) have made him a legend well beyond his hometown of New Orleans. Hear a concert by good doctor and his band, The Lower 911.

Dr. John in Concert

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'Fresh Air' at 20: New Orleans' Dr. John

Fresh Air

May 11, 2007 • Fresh Air went national in 1987, and we're celebrating that 20th anniversary by revisiting some classic broadcasts. In this segment: A song from New Orleans musician Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack. Rebroadcast from May 1987.

'Fresh Air' at 20: New Orleans' Dr. John

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Crescent City Musicians: Singing It Like It Is

August 28, 2006 • In the year since Katrina struck, the musicians of New Orleans have struck back with their art, celebrating the city's life before the storm and bemoaning its fate. We have chosen ten songs that convey their spirit, their spunk and their commitment to Crescent City.

Dr. John Brings His Own Magic to 'Mercernary'

June 17, 2006 • At 65, Dr. John is best known for rhythm and blues and his voodoo charms. In a new album, Mercernary, he's taking Johnny Mercer's pop standards and mixing in his own brand of New Orleans funk.

Dr. John Brings His Own Magic to 'Mercernary'

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The Spirit of New Orleans Is in Its Music

September 9, 2005 • For many music fans, it has been hard to hear the dramatic stories coming out of New Orleans and not consider the city's rich culture. The city is steeped in music, a heritage that folklorist Nick Spitzer, who evacuated the day before Katrina hit, continues to celebrate on the air.

The Spirit of New Orleans Is in Its Music

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Dr. John, Always in the Right Place

Fresh Air

September 5, 2005 • Malcolm "Mac" Rebennack's music evolved from psychedelic voodoo-rock in the 1960s to classic piano. He's still known for the 1973 single "Right Place, Wrong Time." (This interview was first broadcast in 1986 and 1988.)

Dr. John, Always in the Right Place

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Dr. John, 'Dis Dat or D'Udda'

December 9, 2004 • Dr. John is more than just a legendary blues pianist. He's a genuine New Orleans character — a little swig of Bourbon Street — straight out of central casting. Dr. John, a.k.a. Mac Rebennack talks with Co-host Steve Inskeep about his new album Dis Dat or D'Udda.

Dr. John, 'Dis Dat or D'Udda'

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Review

New Dr. John CD

July 15, 2004 • NPR's Meredith Ochs reviews New Orleans pianist Dr. John's new CD N'awlinz: Dis, Dat or D'udda. She says the disc brings together the many musical traditions that thrive in the Crescent City.

New Dr. John CD

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Review

Dr. John

November 8, 2001 • Scott Aiges reviews the latest CD from Dr. John, the New Orleans musician who mixes up blues, jazz, R&B, and Afro-Caribbean funk. It's called Creole Moon. The label is Blue Note.

Dr. John

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Just In Time for Mardi Gras: Musician Dr. John Honored in New Orleans

March 4, 2000 • Burnett: NPR's John Burnett has a profile of Dr. John, a.k.a. Mac Rebennack, doctor of the boogie woogie. The city of New Orleans recently honored the hometown legend.

Just In Time for Mardi Gras: Musician Dr. John Honored in New Orleans

Only Available in Archive Formats.

Real Media

Dr. John. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz

Dr. John On Piano Jazz

October 29, 2010 • A pianist, singer, composer and icon, Dr. John blends soul, pop, rock, jazz, zydeco and an unmistakable voice to create his unique take on New Orleans' musical flavor. In this session from 1989, Dr. John performs "Struttin' With Some BBQ" and his hit tune "Right Place, Wrong Time," among others.

Dr. John On Piano Jazz

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Dr. John: From Session Player To New Orleans Funk Legend

Dr. John will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month. Courtesy of 429 Records hide caption

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Courtesy of 429 Records

Dr. John: From Session Player To New Orleans Funk Legend

March 9, 2011 • Mac Rebennack knows funky: He's from one of the most vibrant music scenes in the country, New Orleans. When he started performing under the stage name Dr. John in the late '60s, the unlikely frontman took his blend of rhythm and blues, jazz and voodoo on the road to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Dr. John: From Session Player To New Orleans Funk Legend

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Live From Brooklyn, Dr. John's 'Revolution'

Dr. John (right) with Black Keys singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach, who produced Locked Down. In April, the pair played songs from the album at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Alysse Gafkjen hide caption

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Alysse Gafkjen

All Songs Considered

Live From Brooklyn, Dr. John's 'Revolution'

May 9, 2012 • A video for the song from Locked Down, shot during a nine-night residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, is the culmination of a collaboration between Dr. John and Dan Auerbach.

Dr. John's newest album, Locked Down, comes out Tuesday. Michael Wilson hide caption

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Michael Wilson

Music Interviews

Dr. John: A Rock Legend Gets Personal

April 3, 2012 • The New Orleans legend recently teamed up with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, who persuaded Dr. John to look inward in his music. The result is a funky, thoroughly modern-sounding new album called Locked Down.

Dr. John: A Rock Legend Gets Personal

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Dr. John: Swamp Grooves From The Bayou Underworld

Dan Auerbach (left) joins Dr. John on the latter's new album, Locked Down. Alysse Gafkjen hide caption

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Alysse Gafkjen

Review

Music Reviews

Dr. John: Swamp Grooves From The Bayou Underworld

April 3, 2012 • With help from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Dr. John returns to the spooky, percussive sounds of his first records on Locked Down.

Dr. John: Swamp Grooves From The Bayou Underworld

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