Been a big fan of Mac Rebennack since I first heard Gris Gris back in 1968. Loyal to this day, but nothing ever really touched me in the same way as that album. Well, here's more of what I love from Dr.John.
Witchy Red
Kiya Gris Gris
John Gris
I Like Ki Yoka
Bruha Bembe
Marie Laveau
Dream Warrior
City that Care Forgot
Tribal
Here are a few more.
Loop Garou
Party Hellfire
Craney Crow
Zu Zu Mamou
I Been HooDoo'd
Party Hellfire (Lynchmob Dub mix)
Enjoy,
NØ
Bravo! Could not have said it better myself! Exactly the same experience. And reaction. Sui generis, nothing like it then, nothing like it now. Your own compilations, it appears, yes? O, and of course, many thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. Gris Gris II I grabbed somewhere on the interweb years back. Always have it as an accompaniment to Gris Gris every time I give that a listen (often). I just dug through all my Dr John & dug up the ones for Mo' Gris Gris. Enjoy & you're welcome.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid Dr John and Jim Pepper with Everything is everything's "Witchi tai to" quickly grabbed my attention,
ReplyDeleteBoth I found in my Father's record stash as a toddler in the argentinian 70's .
Only later I found out they were related to aboriginal music of some kind.
Some of my first conscious movements happened to be playing those vinyls (and Zappa's)
I probably ruined some of them in the learning process and couldn't understand why people liked Beatles when there was some much better racket to listen to.
Records that leave a mark in our personalities.
Always happy to find somebody vibing in the same strange frequency.
Saludos.
Sounds like your father had good taste in music. You mentioned Jim Pepper. His group The Free Spirits (with another favorite of mine, guitarist Larry Coryell) was fantastic.
ReplyDeleteBack in the radical Vietnam war days I had some interaction with AIM (American Indian Movement). Pepper was active with that group, being indigenous American.
You mentioned "Witchi Tai to" (a song derived from a peyote song of the Native American Church which Jim had learned from his grandfather). It is the only hit to feature an authentic Native American chant in the history of the Billboard pop charts. There have been many cover versions of the tune over the years.
Thanks for reminding me of this great artist that had slipped my mind.
The old blister certainly still keeps his good taste.
DeleteThe data you passed about Witchi tai to is priceless. Enhances my appreciation for that record.
Funny to think that a small kid in Argentina was humming some north american aboriginal music in the 70's but I suppose that's what music's all about.
Curiously we are also discussing it from opposite hemispheres right now. It speaks about the power of it.
The fact that those records were pressed in Argentina with little time difference from the release is amazing.
70s were violent times also in Argentina. This music helped to cope with the insanity.
Cheers Nathan.
Diego
Thanks as always for the kind words. It is a pleasure to be able to know you as Diego rather than anonymous, my friend.
DeleteNice! I love Dr. J's early psychedelic swamp voodoo too so I'm psyched to have some more of it!
ReplyDeleteThe Night Tripper at his hoodoo best.
ReplyDelete