Dr John – Locked Down ★★★

Dr John aka ‘Mac’ Rebennack (v, kys), Dan Auerbach (g, v, perc), Leon Michels (kys, perc, s, v), Brian Olive (g, perc, v, s), Nick Movshon (b, perc, v), Max Weissenfeldt (d, perc, v), and The McCrary Sisters (v). Rec. September to November 2011

Every generation since the 1960s has discovered Dr John and taken him to their heart. It’s led to some wacky collaborations, not least Anutha Zone with a host of Brit-poppers (ah, where now Supergrass?) while everyone from Hugh Laurie to Spiritualised have lapped up his New Orleans piano grooves. This project with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys has more going for it in that Auerbach is a long time lover of the blues. The resulting Locked Down features Rebennack heavily on vocals and organ, but less on piano or composition credit. Not surprisingly Auerbach tugs Rebbenack down a rock-blues path, recalling his Night Tripper, Gris Gris period.

The results are some suitably scuzzy sounding funk blues, from the honking saxes of ‘Revolution’, replete with a raw political edge, to the zombie swamp thang that is ‘Eleggua’. The good time rolling, mardi gras celebrating Rebennack isn’t that evident; instead Auerbach keeps the contemporary angst boiling on the voodoo groove of ‘Ice Age’ which rails against our soul-less times. Yet the 72-year-old Rebennack revels in it with a growling, apocalyptic vocals worthy of Captain Beefheart or James ‘Blood’ Ulmer. If you prefer your Dr John jazzier, with his piano to the fore, check out Duke Elegant. But if you want The Night Tripper re-invented as the voice of soulful vengeance and righteous anger for our crazed times, then Auerbach deserves much credit for this extraordinary, roaring testament.

– Andy Robson