Irma Thomas' Rounder Heritage Retrospective

Irma Thomas' career was elevated from being a regional New Orleans treasure to an artist that received national and international recognition when she signed to Rounder Records. In 2000, Rounder celebrated its 30th Anniversary with the Rounder Heritage Series. One of the releases was devoted to her recordings for the label. This review originally appeared in the July/August 2001 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 252), although i have made minor changes. There are more recent compilations of Irma's work, including one that spans her half century career. This release is available as a download.

The Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas has had a substantial and rewarding career since she signed with Rounder in the mid-1980s. A recent addition to the Rounder Heritage series celebrating the label’s 30th anniversary is If You Want It Come and Get It, a collection of 16 performances collected from six of the eight albums she has recorded for Rounder, including the collaboration with Marcia Ball and Tracey Nelson, Sing It! No tracks are included from her live album and also there are no tracks from her gospel album. 

What stands out is the consistency and high level of her vocals. She is a warm singer who can belt it, but raises the roof mostly to accent the lyrics. Producer Scott Billington has constantly sought out choice new material along with finding lesser known gems, and she can tear into a soul ballad like Love of My Man as well as a rocking The New Rules, dealing with the new male-female relationships. 

A wonderful singer she adds her own voice to songs associated with others, even with her straight reading of the Bobby Bland classic, Yield Not to Temptation, from the Sing It! album. Love Don’t Change is a previously unissued track from the sessions for that album. The rendition of the title track is an extended performance of the track from her Handy-Award winning album My Heart’s in Memphis. The later tune was co-written by Dan Penn, one of several songwriters who have brought material to producer Scott Billington over the years. The late Doc Pomus and Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) contributed I Never Fool Nobody But Me, with a nice New Orleans R&B piano backing from David Torkanowsky. 

Add some of the finest Crescent City and Memphis musicians such as drummer Herman Ernest, organist Sammy Berfect, bassist George Porter, guitarists Michael Toles, and Renard Poché and saxophonists Foots Samuel and Red Tyler, and it is not surprising that Ms Thomas has produced some extremely fine recordings for Rounder which are well sampled here.

Dr. John's Strong Piano Blues

Back in 2006, I had a chance to review together several recordings by Mac Rebannack, aka Dr. John for Jazz & Blues Report. The review appeared in the April 2006, Issue 281 issue. Here is that review. These CDs are available at amazon (although some may be available from third parties.

Sippiana Hericane
New Orleans native, Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, was greatly affected by the destruction Katrina inflicted on his hometown. Shortly after Katrina’s destruction and the breach of the levies, Dr. John and his band, guitarist John Fohl, bassist David Barard and drummer Herman Ernest III, who he refers to as the lower 911, went in the studio and recorded Sippiana Hericane (Blue Note), a benefit recording, the proceeds from which benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, the Jazz Foundation of America and The Voice of the Wetlands. This is a somewhat short recording, approximately 26 minutes or so that opens with Bobby Charles’ Clean Water with the heartfully sung plea to “clean all the waters in the world.” It is followed by the four-part Wade:Hurricane Suite, the opening part is derived from the spiritual Wade in the Water. The third part is a slow, bluesy section which evokes St. James Infirmary a little. The Final part harks back to Wade in the Water, although with a message, “Wade in the water, Comin’ back like we oughta ... Wade in The Bayou, Comin’ back and ya know why-o,” delivered against a funk groove. Dr. John and Cat Yellen reworked his Sweet Home New Orleans which he hears callin yet after the levee “Where y’aaat my lil darlin,” as he recounts some of the devastation. A short reprisal of Clean Water closes this very moving disc.


The Legendary Sessions

In addition to this new disc, three discs add to the good Doctor’s musical legacy. Clean Cuts Music has reissued Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, 1981 solo piano recordings (with a few vocals that often sound off-mike) at a time when he was without a recording contract. A couple years ago they issued The Legendary Sessions Volume 1, which makes available the first of the two albums issued of this material. The present reissue includes not only three selections first issued on the first cd release of this material but also four previously unissued tracks. Among the songs here is a marvelous one for his mother, Dorothy, with its graceful ragtime flavor; Mac’s Boogie, a solid boogie woogie in the Albert Ammons vein; a atmospheric Memories of Professor Longhair, which is a reworking of Longhair’s classic Tipitina; Delicaco also sports a bit of the rumba groove that Longhair favored; while Danse a La Negres is derived from a famous creole composer of the 19th century, and anticipates the opening track of his Going to New Orleans disc; and Silent Night gets a bit of a New Orleans reworking (likely based on the Huey ‘Piano Smith & the Clowns recording); Saints, his individual interpretation of the traditional jazz anthem, and among the previous unissued selections is a wonderful rendition of Careless Love. This comes in a digipak and has a booklet with liner notes and some rare pictures of Mac and his family. The playing on this holds up twenty five years after its initial release.

The Legendary Sessions Volume 2, originally was issued as The Brightest Smile in Town, and that was of the twelve numbers on its original release which I do not have. Included is a blues, Saddle the Cow, that foreshadows Mac’s Trajick Magick, that he performed on Hank Crawford's marvelous Roadside Symphony album; Waiting For a Train, a nice bluesy reworking of the classic by Jimmy Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman; the title track; Touro Infirmary, reworking the classic St. James Infirmary; a medley of Just a Closer Walk With Thee/Midnight Ramble; and his original,Suite Home New Orleans. Newly issued selections include Key to the Highway, Sippiana Midnight and Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu before closing with the Jerome Classic Yesterdays. Both of these are delightful and recommended. I trust that the packaging for Volume 2 will approach if not quite match that of Volume 1.


Right Place, Right Time: Live at Tipitina’s Mardi Gras ‘89

Last but not least is the Second Volume of The Rebennack Chronicles, a series of live recordings from over 600 cassettes that Dr. John has accumulated over the years, and issued on the Skinji Brim imprint that is distributed by Hyena Records. Volume One was the excellent All By Himself: Live at the Lonestar, a performance where he was only accompanied by his piano. The Second Volume is Right Place, Right Time: Live at Tipitina’s Mardi Gras ‘89, and has him backed by his band of the time that included Mr. Ernest III, and Mr Barard who are still with the good doctor sixteen years later. Tommy Moran was the guitarist, Charlie Miller on trumpet and Amadee Castanell on saxophone with Trazi Williams on percussion. This is a lively performance as he opens with a funky Junco Partner, which is followed by the Rebennack-Goffin Renegade during the middle of which he raps about “I like to do what I wanna do anytime I feel like doing what I wanna do, I like to say what I am sayin’ anytime I feel like sayin’ how I want to say it.” There is the Night Tripper classic, Walk on Guilded Splinters, and Travellin’ Mood on which Castanell solos in a most fiery manner. Earl King’s classic Let the Good Times Roll certainly is an appropriate tune to celebrate Mardi Gras and is followed by Louis Jordan’s ballad, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying. Willie Dixon’s Wang Dang Doodle and Mac’s Such a Night close out this most entertaining addition to the Doctor’s discography.


For purposes of FTC Regulations, I received review copies the Clean Cut CDs from Jazz & Blues Report, I believe I purchased Sippiana Hericane, and not sure whether I purchased or got a review copy of Right Place, Right Time.