SUTC With Dr John
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Track:Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay
Here is the Good Doctor, in company with tenor saxophonist Don Harrison and his band, live at New York City's Birdland in November 1991, covering one of the building blocks of the whole New Orleans sound - a tune "officially" written (but not copyrighted) by James "Sugarboy" Crawford and first recorded in 1954, but in all probability much older than that
Comments (8)
Right on with the right on. They take it deep into the progressive jazz realm. The melody sounds like "Chevrolet" or "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" which Bob Dylan fans have probably heard, but which he got from Mark Spoelstra, but, besides Crawford's (news to me), other earlier versions include those by Professor Longhair, Blind Boy Fuller and probably the earliest, Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie doing "Can I Do It for You?" (1930).
I am gob smacked that any one even remembers who Mark Spoelstra was. He ended up in Fresno doing consciencious objector service. I associate him with a very pretty song, "He was just a friend of mine" although I am not sure he wrote it. Dr. John is a great live act; so is Alan Toussaint.
Dig it! The title sent me into a spin trying to remember the record from my youth by the Dixie Cups, Iko, Iko. During a recording session between takes they passed the time by singing a little song which got recorded and made history. Released in 1965. Also covered by the Belle Stars and Natasha in 1982.
Jockamo, by James Crawford (New Orleans)
Were sittin' by the fire.
My grandma told your grandma:
"I'm gonna set your flag on fire."
Chorus:
Talkin' 'bout: Hey now! Hey now!
Iko, Iko, unday
Jockamo feeno ai nané.
Jockamo fee nané.
Iko, Iko, unday.
I betcha five dollars he'll kill you dead.
Jockamo fee nané
Chorus:
My flag boy and your flag boy
Were sittin' by the fire.
My flag boy told your flag boy:
"I'm gonna set your flag on fire."
Chorus:
Iko, Iko, unday. He's not a man;
He's a lovin' machine.
Jockamo fee nané.
Chorus:
I forgot to mention that Dr. John's "Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay" of course has a different melody from "Jockomo" and "Iko Iko," but the same scat word.
Thanks for the audio, Spike. I have always enjoyed the minimal treatment of the Dixie Cups record. Pure voices, rhythm, "intimacy". I really enjoyed the Crawford record. Never head it before.
I have read that Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay means go F... yourself or Kiss My Ass
Mr Crawford sez:
Yeah. I was about to say Crawford's version gave me an image of Mardi Gras Indian marching bands. But then I held back. I've learned the song involves a confrontation between Indian tribes meeting or running into each other during a parade. That's why there is a flag boy. I don't know about the grandmothers, though. Iko = Lookout! or Attention! From one or more Gambian tongues. Literal Jock-a-mo may be lost, but I think we get the idea.