Dr. John's Gumbo

Dr. John's Gumbo released in 1972 is the fifth album by New Orleans singer and pianist Dr. John, a tribute to the music of his native city. The album is a collection of covers of New Orleans classics, played by a major figure in the city's music. It marked the beginning of Dr. John's transition away from the eccentric stage character that earned him a cult following, and toward a more straightforward image based on New Orleans' R&B traditions.

Dr. John's Gumbo
Studio album by Dr. John
Released	April 20, 1972
Studio	Sound City (Van Nuys, California)
Genre	New Orleans blues[1] R&B[2] rock and roll[3] roots rock[4]
Length	39:22
Label	Atco
Producer	Harold Battiste, Jerry Wexler
Dr. John chronology
The Sun, Moon & Herbs (1971) Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) In the Right Place (1973)
Singles from Dr. John's Gumbo
"Iko Iko" Released: March 1972

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Creem	A−[3]
Sputnikmusic	[1]

In 2012, the album was ranked number 404 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[5] The album cover was shot in front of the huge mural adorning the wall of The Farmer John Company (also seen in the movie Carrie), located at Soto Street and Vernon in Vernon, California. The album was on the Billboard 200 charts for eleven weeks, charting as high as #112 on June 24, 1972.^[6]

Track listing

1. "Iko Iko" (James "Sugar Boy" Crawford) – 4:08
2. "Blow Wind Blow" (Huey "Piano" Smith, Izzy Cougarden) – 3:17
3. "Big Chief" (Earl King) – 3:25
4. "Somebody Changed the Lock" (Mac Rebennack) – 2:42
5. "Mess Around" (Ahmet Ertegun) – 3:09
6. "Let the Good Times Roll" (Earl King) – 3:56
7. "Junko Partner" (Bob Shad) – 4:27
8. "Stack-A-Lee" (Traditional; arranged by Leon T. Gross (Archibald)) – 3:28
9. "Tipitina" (Professor Longhair) – 2:04
10. "Those Lonely Lonely Nights" (Earl King, Johnny Vincent) – 2:30
11. "Huey Smith Medley" (Huey "Piano" Smith, Johnny Vincent) – 3:17
    1. "High Blood Pressure"
    2. "Don't You Just Know It"
    3. "Well I'll Be John Brown"
12. "Little Liza Jane" (Huey "Piano" Smith, Johnny Vincent) – 2:59

"Thanks to Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band for the suggestion to cut 'Iko Iko'"

Personnel

• Dr. John – guitar on "Let the Good Times Roll"; piano, cornet, vocals
• Lee Allen – tenor saxophone
• Ronnie Barron – organ, electric piano, backing vocals; piano on "Let the Good Times Roll"
• Harold Battiste – clarinet on "Somebody Changed the Lock"; saxophone, vocal and horn arrangements
• Moe Bechamin – saxophone, backing vocals
• Jimmy Calhoun – bass
• Sidney George – harmonica on "Let the Good Times Roll"; saxophone
• Shirley Goodman, Tami Lynn, Robbie Montgomery, Jessica Smith – backing vocals
• Ken Klimak – guitar
• Dave Lastie – saxophone
• Melvin Lastie – trumpet, cornet
• John Ewing – trombone
• Alvin Robinson – guitar, backing vocals
• Freddie Staehle – drums, percussion
• Richard "Didimus" Washington – percussion

Technical

• Harold Battiste – producer
• Jerry Wexler – producer
• Keith Olsen, Gary Brandt – engineer
• Tom Wilkes – design, photography
• Barry Feinstein – design, photography

References

1. g, manos (July 28, 2014). "Review: CD Dr. John - Dr. John's Gumbo Album". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Dr. John's Gumbo" at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
3. Christgau, Robert (August 1972). "The Christgau Consumer Guide". Creem. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
4. Pippin, Doug (1998). "Dr. John". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 350.
5. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
6. "Billboard 200 - June 24, 1972". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2017.