1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 110. Dr. John – Gris-Gris (1968)

How do I classify this? Voodoo Jazz? Creole Funk? New Orleans Blues? Dr John is a stage persona of New Orleans-born musician Mac Rebennack, and this whole album feels like a kind of voodoo ceremony. As Dr John, Rebennack growls and whispers entreatments in Creole, invoking the Lwa and selling us gris-gris and potions. The music oftentimes becomes an extended funky jam with shrieks and wild drumming mixed in, particularly Croker Courtbullion and I Walked On Golden Splinters, which become almost trance-like in their sounds.

I loved it, this is definitely one that I’d return to, it’s so unlike anything else. My one complaint would be that the mix is very unbalanced at times. Because I’m currently listening on one ear-bud, I wondered if it had been mixed in hard stereo and the bits that were quiet for me were actually meant for the other ear, but when I put it through the car speakers, it turns out, no some bits are mixed very quietly. Take the track Danse Kalinda Da Boom; there are backing vocals that chant the title, but they’re a long way away. Meanwhile, the percussion crashes in and out like an industrial machine slamming away.

Apparently Dr John gave good stage shows that ran with the voodoo theme. Given the voice, I suspect that he is also the inspiration for Dr Teeth of the Muppets houseband (Electric Mayhem).