AMG Review of Essential Recordings

Nathan Bush
All Music Guide

A title like Essential Recordings typically means one of two things: Either it's a package that brings together an artist's accepted hits or a compilation claiming to be what it is not. This Dr. John collection belongs in the latter category, containing curios for fans' enjoyment but little for newcomers to the musical world of Mac Rebennack. Many of these tracks have appeared before in similar settings: collections like At His Best, Cut Me While I'm Hot: The Sixties Sessions, Crawfish Soiree, and Masters. Comparing the track listing with the canonized Dr. John material available on the fine Rhino compilation, however, reveals one common track -- the wonderfully playful "Tipitina" from Dr. John's Gumbo. It is, unsurprisingly, one of the best things here and it kicks off a ragbag blend of piano blues, funky psychedelic rock, R&B rhythms, and swaggering Dixieland horns. Also included are three of the Doctor's earliest recordings ("Did She Mention My Name," "The Grass Looks Greener Yonder," and "New Orleans"), which seem completely out of place with their heavily imitative style. While Jimmy Calhoun's bass and Fred Staehle's drums provide the sturdy framework for Dr. John to relax on "Tipitina," there is a general lack of focus on the selections of Essential Recordings. This can be oddly compelling, as on "The Ear Is on Strike," which sounds on the verge of collapse with a rhythm that rushes, slows, rushes, and stops. Dr. John sings with a late-night, stoned, cool against a loose bass, guitar, organ, and piano concoction. But most of the time the songs feel like tired jams or early rehearsals. No doubt, a few selections would bear consideration for a lengthy Dr. John retrospective, but these recordings are not essential and not the place to begin.